ax 6348 
.04 



Baptist Young 
People at Work 

FREDERICK G. DETWEILER 




Class _ 
Book. 
Copyright N°. 



JD4. 



COPYKIGHT DEPOSIT. 



BAPTIST YOUNG 
PEOPLE AT WORK 



Baptist Young 
People at Work 



A MANUAL OF METHODS 
FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETY 



By 
FREDERICK G. DETWEILER 

Former Secretary of 
Baptist Young People's Work for Ohio 




PHILADELPHIA 

THE GRIFFITH & ROWLAND PRESS 

BOSTON CHICAGO ST. LOUIS 

TORONTO, CAN. 



** 



^ w 



Copyright 1913 by 
A. J. ROWLAND, Secretary 



Published June, 1913 



£tfO 



©CU350283 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Chapter Page 

Introduction 7 

I. Why a Young People's Society ? 9 

II. A Department of the Church 18 

III. The Way to Organize 28 

IV. Efficient Officers 37 

V. Strengthening the Membership. ... 49 

VI. The Devotional Meeting 58 

VII. Social Life 69 

VIII. Educational Plans 78 

IX. Missionary Methods 91 

X. Practical Service 101 

XL The Juniors 1 1 1 

XII. Training for Future Leadership. . . . 124 

Appendix A 135 

Appendix B 140 



INTRODUCTION 

The splendid advance in Sunday-school work 
these past few years has drawn off some of the 
enthusiasm formerly invested in the young people's 
society. But there are indications of a better under- 
standing of the distinctive spheres of these two 
church organizations with a returning consideration 
of the young people's movement. It is felt that 
youth needs development in religious initiative. 
They ought to have a work which they feel is pecu- 
liarly their own. In many sections of the country 
they are making their society count for more than 
it has done for years, and are asking for practicable 
hints and helps. This little book is the response to 
that demand. 

Workers among young people were surveyed with 
some care. Mr. Detweiler was asked to write the 
book because of his marked fitness in knowledge, 
sympathy, and powers of expression. As secretary 
of the Young People's Department of the Ohio Bap- 
tist Convention, he evinced a grasp of the theory 



Introduction 



and practice of the young people's society, which he 
has admirably shown in these pages. 

It is hoped this book will prove stimulating and 
suggestive to all Baptist pastors and to all Baptist 
young people. While some specific directions are 
given to workers of the Baptist Young People's 
Union, the author has also had in mind the Chris- 
tian Endeavor Society and all other forms of organ- 
ization. 

William E. Chalmers, 
General Secretary B. Y. P. U. A. 



BAPTIST YOUNG 
PEOPLE AT WORK 

CHAPTER I 

WHY A YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETY? 

The purpose of this chapter is to show that every 
church should have its young people organized into 
some group, whatever its name, that aims at definite 
spiritual culture and service. To say, as a pastor 
once admitted, " I have nothing for my young men 
to do but pass the hymn-books," is a confession of 
inefficiency. Surely we have no grander issue at 
stake than the conservation of the forces of Chris- 
tian youth, the richest of our spiritual resources. 
It is in the ages between fourteen and twenty that 
the church receives most of her converts ; and in the 
latter part of the same period, when young people 
are looking upon life as a great dawn, the most 
heroic decisions are often made. Something cor- 
responding to a young people's society is demanded 
by the needs of the young Christian, of the church, 
and of the world. 

9 



io Baptist Young People at Work 

The Young Christian Needs: 

i. Growth, which is the first business of the new 
life, and must be sustained by a regular use of the 
means of grace. When the evangelist and his meet- 
ing have come and gone, his critics who remain 
behind begin to count the converts that lose their 
hold and " slide back." Why this aftermath? It is 
not fair in most cases to say that either evangelists 
or converts were not in earnest. The trouble is 
that it was the church's business to care for these 
new-born souls in that crucial period that comes 
just after birth, and what was everybody's business 
became nobody's business. Some regular means 
must be deliberately provided for getting Christian 
youth individually into a habit of systematic Bible 
reading and prayer, and collectively into an atmos- 
phere favorable for worship, fellowship, and dis- 
tinctively Christian activity. 

2. Expression. A recent speaker told how a 
family succeeded in killing a tree that cumbered its 
tiny city back yard. They could not cut it down, but 
they pulled off all its green. The tree answered by 
putting forth new foliage, but that too was pulled 
off. At last, as this procedure was kept up, nature 
succumbed, and the life that could not express itself 
outwardly perished. In the spiritual life the analogy 
is plain. As soon as I am a Christian I want to 
learn to express my Christianity. It is not meant 
that one should affect pious and stilted language, or 
talk, in evident bad taste, of his own secret walk 



Why a Young People's Society? n 



with God. Because, in fact, it is so easy to do just 
this or else to be silent altogether, we need to prac- 
tise expressing ourselves naturally and helpfully as 
Christians. This implies a meeting where we can 
worship, by prayer, praise, testimony, and otherwise. 
When we ask why the young people's movement 
grew from an enrolment of thirty-five in 1881 to 
almost a million in 189 1, we must attribute a large 
part of the increase to the fact that by this means 
thousands of young people found their tongues for 
Christ. But there are other ways of expressing the 
new life besides speaking. The businesslike com- 
mittee meeting, the hearty handshake given to a 
stranger, punctual and cheerful attendance, thought- 
ful work in the study class — all are worshipful in 
spirit. 

3. Fellowship, or Christian society. Individuals 
are not points in space, but circles overlapping each 
other. Three- fourths of what I am consists in what 
I am to others and what they are to me. Hence a 
soul is not entirely saved until it is in a safe place 
among other souls. Many of us see Christians 
" drop out " because, " I never could feel at home in 
that church." Young people need young people. 
Immense good has already been done on the part of 
young people's societies in improving their fine so- 
cial mission. The demand for it is growing. The 
boy craves to be " in with the bunch." The girl talks 
about what " all the other girls are doing." The 
high-school class, the gang, the team, the fraternity, 



12 Baptist Young People at Work 

the social set, are all very real, and their hold on our 
young people will easily overpower the attractions 
of the church unless the church deliberately pro- 
vides for a social life that is Christian. 

4. Last but foremost, the young Christian needs 
service. The living things must work. " We study 
that we may serve " is the watchword of the Bap- 
tist Young People's Union, and Christian Endeavor- 
ers say, " For Christ and the Church." Some one 
has traced the origin of the young people's move- 
ment to the various clubs whose motto was : 

Look up and not down; 
Look forward and not back; 
Look out and not in; and 
Lend a hand. 

It is not enough to inculcate the generality of 
Christian service. We must learn to do by doing, 
and you must not despise us if we begin with 
simple and easy tasks, provided they are significant 
and worth while. Is it not the danger of " the 
average church-member " that he sits still and 
watches the minister and choir conduct a " serv- 
ice"? Does he not chronically need Professor 
James' "moral equivalent of war"? If so, when 
will you teach him to fight? Surely not when he is 
past forty, but while he is beginning to be a church- 
member. The Bible school does a great deal in edu- 
cating us for the war; with modern methods and 
improved equipment, the children of Ephraim are 
armed and carrying bows as never before. But 



IV hy a Young People's Society? 13 

surely no one will accuse us of disloyalty to the 
Bible school if we point out that the great majority 
of schools are in no position to go beyond the 
activity of teaching and learning to the place of 
definite doing. " Must' there not come a time when 
the years of training find application in service, when 
the church has a right to say to the school : You have 
had this life in preparation for years; it ought to 
be ready for toil by this time ? " In these words 
Dr. Henry F. Cope points out that the school must 
lead on to a service that shall go beyond its own 
routines. Would it not be appropriate here to sug- 
gest a close relation between the school and some 
organization that shall give largest possible place to 
definite and active service? Such an organization 
we conceive the Baptist Young People's Union to 
be. The worship session of the church is inspira- 
tional; it puts the powder in the gun. The Bible 
school is educational, loading the gun with its bullet. 
There is needed an activity mainly practical, to aim 
the gun at its target and pull the trigger. 

The Church Needs: 

1. To develop efficient members. In a certain 
church in the middle West that stands easily among 
the first six Baptist churches of its State, a mem- 
ber arose in prayer meeting and called attention 
to the fact that thirty years before there had been 
a young people's association, which he believed 
was responsible for the greater part of the spir- 



14 Baptist Young People at Work 

itual vigor of the membership. It was found that 
the old records showed over and over again the 
names of those who are the pillars of the church 
to-day. Their activity is especially evident in the 
prayer meeting. This is only one example of 
the influence the young people's organizations have 
been exerting in hundreds of churches. Another 
evidence of their influence in developing workers 
is seen in the increased efficiency of the Bible school, 
since the young people of a few years ago, trained 
in their societies, threw their energies into the 
newer movement of the organized Bible class. 

In considering this whole matter recently, a minis- 
ters' meeting sustained the contention that it is still 
the young people of the societies who are at work 
in the classes. These young people are not content 
with the Bible school, advanced as it is, but have 
felt compelled, after the temporary experiment of 
taking a vacation from young people's work, to 
resume and push both lines of effort. Again, from 
the view-point of the local church nothing is more 
important than the matter of raising up ministers. 
The writer has been in the position to observe a 
good many young students for the ministry and 
know their history, and it is surprising how many of 
them attribute to the young people's society a very 
large part in enlisting them in their life-work. 
Finally, the Baptist Young People's Union and the 
Endeavor Society do a great work that cannot be 
more clearly defined than by saying that they help 



Why a Young People's Society ? 15 

church-members to get into the life and work of 
the church ; in other words, to be assimilated. When 
the report goes out " a hundred additions," why 
does it not occur to some one to ask, " How many 
assimilations, and how much dead matter ? " There's 
many a slip 'twixt the baptistery and the firing-line. 
2. The church must keep young. It is said that 
the hymn beginning 

Jesus ! and shall it ever be 

A mortal man ashamed of thee? 

was written by a boy of thirteen. Many of the 
apostles were young men; Saul of Tarsus is an 
example of youth swept by a great enthusiasm. 
To-day men say that the church is old and ultra- 
conservative. Much of this criticism is unfounded, 
and yet it is dangerous for any church to keep the 
positions of responsibility filled entirely by the older 
class. Some congregations are known as " old 
people's churches." Just as the family loses when 
it fails to understand that John is leaving boyhood 
and becoming a man, so a church loses irreparably 
if it does not keep the loyalty of its young manhood 
and womanhood. And this it can do only by pro- 
viding them a definite and recognized place. 

The World Needs: 

1. Soul-winners. And the young must be won 
by the young. " For God's sake, give me the other 
end of the plank ! " shouted a man who was sinking 



16 Baptist Young People at Work 

in the ice-cold river. A man on shore, alarmed 
and confused, had tried to save him by pushing 
out a heavy plank, but the end which was offered 
to the drowning man was coated with smooth 
ice. There are millions of unsaved young people. 
Give them the good end of the plank — not the 
routine service inside a church, but the personal 
friendship and Christian testimony of a young 
Christian. In every quarter appear evidences of 
this wide field that stretches out before the or- 
ganized young people. Consider them just as an 
element of attractiveness in the church-building. 
Who has not seen the shy groups that cautiously 
peer through the door on Sunday evenings as though 
to reconnoiter an enemy's ground ? " Nobody in- 
side but a few old ladies," and out they stay. But 
suppose a young man or woman watching at the 
entrance with a friendly greeting, and a bright 
room beyond with a meeting all of young folks, who 
will soon go together into the preaching service, 
and it is easy to predict what the visitors will do. 

2. The world needs a modern heroism in the 
cause of humanity. Many are the causes calling for 
volunteers. Go over the names of the missionary 
heroes, and almost all of them made the decision 
to go to the heathen before they were thirty, per- 
haps the majority of them long before. Judson and 
his bride, William Carey, Henry Martyn, and Liv- 
ingstone went out young. We need an agency to 
develop missionary zeal. Ask the student volun- 



Why a Young People s Society? ij 

teers and our mission boards what proportion of 
applicants have been developed largely through the 
young people's society. But we need not go abroad 
to find the call for heroism. Our bad social con- 
ditions at home, our crusades for civic reform, the 
temperance cause, poor relief, and all the countless 
opportunities for personal and collective consecra- 
tion abound on every hand. And they who best 
provide some way of enlisting our young people to 
follow their Christ in campaigns that count are 
doing an incalculable good to the world. 

Once, in the dusk, a passenger looked out from 
the windows of a trolley car and saw the locomotive 
of a freight drawing alongside. As the engine 
began to pass on ahead the fire-door was thrown 
open and a transfiguring glory swept up over the 
smoke, making it a pillar of fire by night. Poised 
on the plate between tender and engine stood the 
young fireman all aglow, proudly waving his greet- 
ing. A vision symbol of young America! Before 
it the furnaces of power that it kindles while the 
staid old engineers hold the throttle, and behind it 
loads of help for needy men. Young America in- 
deed is filling up our factories, filling the ranks of 
army and navy, and standing in the little red school- 
house to teach a still newer generation. Young 
America tends the big fires that drive the wheels of 
our civilization. Is there not a call here for us? 
Is there not enough to make us rise in the strength 
of God and cry, " Young America for Christ " ? 

B 



CHAPTER II 

A DEPARTMENT OF THE CHURCH 

A Baptist young people's society, then, is a de- 
partment of a Baptist church through which the 
church provides for the spiritual growth of its 
young people, develops them into efficient church- 
members, and enlists them in service for the world. 

The word " department " is fundamental through- 
out. Again and again the question must be an- 
swered, What is the relation of the society to the 
church? We say that the society is a department 
of the local church in order to emphasize the de- 
mand for mutual loyalty on the part of the young 
people and the general workers. The use of the 
word " department " is illustrated very well for us 
by its meaning in business, (i) The department 
is thought of as another means of enlarging the 
whole business. (2) The general management 
equips, fosters, and owns the department. 

The Young People Loyal to Their Own Church 

The department does not exist for itself; it must 
pay its own running cost and make money for the 
firm besides. Far from weakening any other service 
of the church, a young people's union or Christian 
18 



A Department of the Church 19 

Endeavor society must justify its existence by add- 
ing to the membership, spiritual life, and readiness 
for service of the whole congregation. Did you 
hear that evil whisper : " Now we young folks will 
be by ourselves, with no one to interfere, and we 
will have our own way entirely " ? In an army 
they sometimes call that mutiny. No young Chris- 
tian, however enthusiastic for the society, can long 
be satisfied with a meeting that hinders any part 
of the general work of his church, nor will he walk 
unblushingly away from the building at the time of 
the preaching service. As young people, we re- 
spond gladly to the demand for loyalty to the 
athletic team, the college, the family, and no less 
gladly and proudly do we respond to the same 
demand coming from our church. All we need is 
the right relation emphasized at the foundation of 
our work; for we would be the last to deny our- 
selves the thrill and inspiration that come to those 
who, loyal to local needs, work to build up their 
own church as a part of that larger, world-domi- 
nating institution against which the gates of hell 
shall not prevail. 

The Church Loyal to Its Young People 

The general work must acknowledge the depart- 
ment, equipping it, fostering it, advertising it — in 
short, owning it. We want our church to say, " our 
society," " our young people," not " their society," or 
" the young people, they." A child learning to walk 



2o Baptist Young People at Work 

needs assistance far more than criticism. Leading 
a meeting is hard for anybody; some deacons make 
poor work of it, and the young people generally do 
better if not always so well. But why point out 
the failure, if there is failure? None of us would 
like to be in the shoes of the good church officers 
who took it upon them to tell Dwight Moody, the 
newly converted lad, not to speak in meeting be- 
cause he did it so poorly. The older people can do 
a great deal to strengthen these younger ones. In 
the meetings, when present, they can refrain from 
long harangues, explanations, or prayers; they can 
avoid coming in with no little confusion during the 
precious last quarter-hour. They can give sug- 
gestions to leaders and devotional committees, and 
tell the young people all the encouraging things 
possible. 

Steps to Promote Loyalty 

1. Explain on the occasion of organizing and 
often afterward that the young people are a depart- 
ment of the church. The wise pastor will do this. 
The officers of the society ought not to neglect it. 

2. Let the idea be kneaded into the organization 
itself. When it is first proposed to start a society, 
the suggestion may come from the advisory board 
of the church to the congregation for action. When 
the young people's society elects officers, let the 
congregation ratify. The pastor will be a member 
of every nominating committee. The president of 



A Department of the Church 21 

the society is sometimes made a member of the 
church advisory board. At the annual meeting of 
the church the young people should present a good 
report and, if practicable, display an exhibit, this to 
include a directory of officers and committees, appro- 
priate literature, a few statistics, and photographs of 
any significant scenes. Hang on the wall the motto, 
" For Christ and the Church." Finally, as part of 
the annual schedule, let the church set apart a Sun- 
day evening to the young people's work, with an 
appropriate sermon and a special installation serv- 
ice for the new officers. Such a service can be 
made attractive to the whole congregation, and will 
certainly add dignity to the society. Appropriate 
responsive readings may be made up from 1 Corin- 
thians 12, Ephesians 4, and similar passages. In 
these exercises the officers of the society, the pas- 
tor, and the whole people pledge themselves anew 
to the unseen Commander-in-chief and the ideals 
of his kingdom. 

3. Like two horses in one team, let the Bible 
school and the young people's union be hitched side 
by side to the church chariot. If Bill and Fan keep 
step the farmer gets his load of corn to the market 
more quickly and with greater good nature. Let 
us have occasional conferences and luncheons for 
the two sets of officers. In a body as representative 
as the Convention of Ontario and Quebec a count 
that was taken showed an unexpectedly large pro- 
portion of people who were workers in both organ- 



22 Baptist Young People at Work 

izations — the Bible school and the Union. The same 
thing is true on the local field. The union should 
adjust its work to the needs of the younger " adult " 
classes and the teachers should cooperate through- 
out. 

4. The society must be given some definite work 
to do in building up its own church. Many churches 
find that the young people are the forward force. 
One evening in a young people's meeting some one 
spoke about the emptiness of the front pews in the 
preaching service that always followed that meet- 
ing. Another said : " How many young people here 
will join a Front-seat Brigade, to fill up those first 
pews every Sunday evening ? " The response was 
good ; thirty or more stood up to promise their help, 
and the pews were filled. Sometimes the young 
people print a weekly or monthly church bulletin. 
Often they assist the pastor in calling, and are 
quite efficient in a neighborhood canvass for the 
Bible school or evangelistic meetings. In one church 
the pastor gave them his weekly prayer meeting 
once a month. 

A Department of the Denomination 

By means of loyalty to our local church we come 
into line with our great denomination. Northern 
Baptists are just awakening to the spirit of de- 
nominational unity and life, and we all want a part 
in the new forward movement. Every society should 
know something about the Northern Baptist Con- 



A Department of the Church 23 

vention, especially considered as a sort of holding 
company for the organizations following : 

1. The American Baptist Foreign Mission So- 
ciety, with seven hundred and twenty-two mission- 
aries, who reported last year over nine thousand 
additions to the mission churches in Burma, Assam, 
South India and Bengal, South, East, West, and 
Central China, the Congo, ( the Philippines, and 
Japan. 

2. The American Baptist Home Mission Society, 
which organized last year one hundred and seven- 
teen churches and carries on work in the great 
West, among the Indians, among the Southern 
Negroes, and in Mexico and the West Indies. 

3. The American Baptist Publication Society, 
which provides us all the literature needed by Bap- 
tists, such, for instance, as our Bible school helps 
and " Service," besides carrying on a missionary 
work through chapel cars and colportage wagons, 
and an educational work through its many Bible 
school and young people's society experts. 

4. The Woman's American Baptist Home Mis- 
sion Society and the Woman's Baptist Foreign Mis- 
sionary Society are also affiliated. The names of 
these organizations suggest the character of the 
great work they are doing. 

The Northern Baptist Convention has under its 
authority many lines of endeavor. Baptist young 
people will desire to keep themselves informed con- 
cerning all these. 



24 Baptist Young People at Work 

The apportionment suggested to each local church 
is just the amount that seems, on the lowest pos- 
sible estimate, to be that church's share in the gen- 
eral expense of this extension of Christ's kingdom. 
Therefore each young people's union that helps 
raise the apportionment of its own church is moving 
the wheels of vast agencies whose powers of bless- 
ing reach round the world. 

A Picture 

The inefficient young people's union is one that 
begins at the center of itself and goes round and 
round in a labyrinth, never getting outside, like this : 




The efficient union has straight roads wide open 
from its own center to widening circumferences, 

like this: 



A Department of the Church 



25 




The Pastor's Relation to the Young People 

As a department of the church, finally, the young 
people are a strategic part of the pastor's work. 
Many a pastor counts his ministry to his own young 
people as the most enjoyable part of all. The pastor 
is the pivot about which the success of the young 
people swings. 

1. At the very first, when a young people's or- 
ganization is being only thought of, the pastor 
should " get in on the ground floor." It is painful 
to come at last to the realization that it is too late 
for him to modify, Or to call his own, an idea that 
is taking hold of the minds of his people. Generally 
it will be easy and natural for them to come to him 
with all their ideas. It is better for him to be the 
first to suggest an organization. Some pastors have 



26 Baptist Young People at Work 

been at fault here. The traditional picture of the 
boy Haydn taking refuge at night in the garret for 
the sake of playing the instrument a wise parent 
might of his own accord have furnished him, is a 
parable of the furtive way some young people must 
reach out after greater things without the cordial 
help of their own pastor. 

2. Doctor Pattison, in his book " For the Work 
of the Ministry," advises the pastor to keep his hand 
on the rudder-ropes. He can do this by acting ex 
officio on all committees. He cannot attend all of 
them every time, but once a year he can be in each 
of them, and often in the Executive Committee. 
One pastor enjoyed inviting the officers of the so- 
ciety to his home one evening a month. A pastor 
should have a definite educational policy to suggest' 
to the Educational Committee, and bring hints for 
the Devotional Committee to act upon. 

3. In the weekly meeting the pastor should not 
always speak; and, if he must speak, should be brief 
— let us say it over again, all together — brief. He 
must not let the leader always ask him to pray, 
thereby preventing some young person who cannot 
pray well to have the needful practice in that art. 
Sometimes the pastor is called upon to lead one 
of the meetings. Then comes his chance to lift 
things out of the rut by showing other prospective 
leaders ways that are different. 

4. The pastor's key to success in developing ef- 
ficient young people, and, as a consequence, efficient 



A Department of the Church 27 

church-members, is his ability to suggest definite 
tasks in Christian work that young people will enjoy 
because worth while. Leadership is largely ability 
to suggest. These tasks may be enterprises for 
" boosting " the church, community service, personal 
soul-winning, or occasional assistance in any of a 
hundred ways. Many societies are not doing more 
for the churches to which they belong because the 
pastor's work among them is largely " inspirational," 
and not wisely practical. Sermons on consecration 
vanish away like the morning dew when they can- 
not be followed by an appeal for help in some imme- 
diate need. " Training for service " must not be 
swamped by too much talking in meeting, or even 
by an excess of " study." No one stands in a posi- 
tion comparable to the pastor's in opportunity for 
insight into the needs of his neighborhood and 
church, on the one hand, and into the availability of 
his individual young members on the other. Let 
him keep his people active. 



CHAPTER III 

THE WAY TO ORGANIZE 

Generally the young people in a Baptist church 
will organize under the form of a Baptist young 
people's union. This brings it at once into touch, 
although in no sectarian spirit, with the great de- 
nominational cause, and gives the advantage of 
carrying out in some detail the plans best fitted for 
the development of young Baptists. It is not im- 
possible by any means for a society of Christian 
Endeavor to take many features, such as the Chris- 
tian Culture Courses, from the Baptist Young Peo- 
ple's Union, and this is what many of them are 
doing. In describing the process of organization, 
however, we will here confine ourselves to that of 
the Baptist Young People's Union, for the reason 
that the plan of procedure will be very much the 
same in both cases. 

Plan of Procedure: 

i. There must first be some one in the church who 
really wants the organization. If there is, let him 
remember that one coal is enough to start any fire, 
if only it be a live one. This one person should be 
the pastor; but in case it is some one else, his first 
28 



The Way to Organize 29 

duty will be to win the pastor to the idea, and any 
others, one by one, who may catch the fire. 

2. When there seems to be a good opportunity, 
let there be a dozen or more of the most promising 
and most representative young church-members in- 
vited personally to spend an evening together in 
some home — preferably, of course, the parsonage — 
for preliminary consideration of a Baptist young 
people's union. Care must be taken not to slight 
any one who is interested enough to care for an 
invitation to such a gathering. At this meeting there 
should be enough copies of the model constitution, 
the magazine " Service," and other literature, to go 
round. First, have a social time, and then a few 
words from the pastor in explanation of the pur- 
pose of the meeting and the details of the proposed 
work. All should be urged to ask questions and to 
be free in expressing opinions. If, after a season 
of prayer, it seems to be their judgment to go ahead, 
let plans be made for a public meeting to be held 
shortly. Let some one present be asked to bring 
the matter to the consideration of the advisory 
board of the church, and two or three others, with 
the pastor to help them, to go over the constitution 
in detail so as to suggest any adjustments that may 
be necessary to local conditions. Before going home 
that evening let all covenant to pray daily for the 
new enterprise and to talk it up. 

3. Next will come the public meeting for organ- 
ization. This may be prepared for by a special 



30 Baptist Young People at Work 

sermon on the Sunday previous. Announcements 
will be made of a meeting, at which all young peo- 
ple who are interested in a larger service of their 
Lord may come together to form a Baptist young 
people's union. Besides giving due notice to the 
congregation, there should be special emphasis on 
the matter before those classes in the Bible school 
that are able to furnish members for the new organ- 
ization. When the meeting assembles let the pastor 
open by suggesting a hymn and prayer, and then 
call for the selection of a temporary chairman and 
clerk, after which the following order may be 
observed : 

Explanation by pastor as to the purpose of the gathering. 

Motion to "take the necessary steps to organize as the 

Baptist Young People's Union of Baptist 

Church of 

Chairman asks for reading of the model constitution; 
this being very effectively done in concert, copies having 
been supplied to all. 

Opportunity given for action on the constitution. Those 
who, since the preliminary informal meeting, have been 
studying this matter, should now rise and make their 
suggestions if any changes are necessary, after which 
some one should move the adoption of the constitution as 
adapted to local needs. Only those who fully intend to 
become active members should vote. 

In case there is a disposition to spend much time over 
the matter of the constitution, let action be taken referring 
this to a special committee, meanwhile proceeding to elect 
officers on the ground of adjusting the constitution to the 
action of the evening. If possible, however, let the 
matter go through without much delay. 



The Way to Organize 31 

Motion can be made that all who desire to be included 
as active members be regarded as such upon their signing 
the constitution, including the pledge. Silent prayer before 
the signatures are made. Those who fully intend to sign 
may go on voting as the paper is going round. 

A nominating committee of five, including the pastor, 
should now be appointed for the purpose of nominating 
the officers. They should retire immediately in order to 
bring in a report after the next number on the program. 
The committee members should not be selected at this 
time, so as to obviate delay or haste. 

This would be a good time to hear an address from a 
visitor, preferably a State or national worker in the 
cause of the Baptist Young People's Union. 

When the Nominating Committee reports, give oppor- 
tunity for any other nominations that may be made indi- 
vidually. If no others are suggested, motion to adopt 
and elect will be in order. In case there are other nomina- 
tions, vote by ballot separately. 

Let the committee on nominations be continued and in- 
structed to report the personnel of committees at the first 
devotional meeting. 

Motion to submit the entire action of the evening to the 
church for ratification. 

Announcement by the president of the first devotional 
meeting, including subject and leader. 

Dismissal. It is good to have the new officers stand in 
line and receive congratulations and pledges of support by 
the members as they march by and shake hands. 

4. The first devotional meeting should be a spir- 
itual Grand Opening. The leader should in this 
case be one with some experience and skill. Decora- 
tions would be very appropriate in the room, and 
a little ribbon badge may be distributed. If pos- 



32 Baptist Young People at Work 

sible, prepare tastily printed programs of this first 
meeting and have them given out in a previous 
church service, so the attendance may be increased. 
We should have as general a participation in this 
meeting as possible. Use some responsive and con- 
cert exercises, especially the reciting of the pledge 
together. The president may propose a motto for 
the year. After the Nominating Committee reports 
its suggestions as to the committee members the 
union can vote to ratify if agreeable. There should 
be insistence on a really spiritual tone on this occa- 
sion and a good season of prayer. In case a 
preaching service follows, the entire body of young 
people will march in together and sit in a body 
in the auditorium. This would be a good time to 
hold: 

5. The inaugural ceremony before the congrega- 
tion, suggested in the previous chapter. There 
should be a well-chosen responsive reading in which 
pastor, officers, and congregation have their parts, 
a short statement of the meaning and dignity of each 
office, and an installation prayer, the people stand- 
ing. The new officers of the union should come for- 
ward and stand for this service. The program may 
be endlessly varied from these suggested outlines. 

6. Absolutely essential will be early and efficient 
committee meetings. First in importance is the 
Executive Committee, consisting of the officers and 
the chairmen of the other committees, each chair- 
man to come with some outlines of a plan for his 



The Way to Organize 33 

own work and submit it as to a cabinet. As soon 
as possible the other committees will meet, insisting 
on the attendance of every member as part of his 
consecration to the cause of his Lord. The Mem- 
bership Committee will pray over plans for an im- 
mediate canvass of the young people in the Bible 
school and church. Strike while the iron is white 
hot. The Devotional Committee must prepare its 
schedule of leaders and secure its printed topic 
cards. The Educational Committee will enroll the 
young people in the Bible Readers' Course and be 
ready to propose their scheme for special study. 
The Social Committee should have as soon as pos- 
sible a general get-together-and-get-acquainted so- 
ciable for members and prospective members. Most 
important is it that some one be present at each 
committee meeting to state exactly what that par- 
ticular committee is for. Individual members of 
committees must be personally notified of the meet- 
ing. It would be proper also to have some pleasant 
social feature, always providing it be inexpensive 
and brief. 

Points to be Noted 

With regard to the constitution of a Baptist 
young people's union, it is of course under- 
stood that each union must have its own. The 
model constitution, in the Appendix, is one that 
has been found to work, and is suggested as a 
good working form. Each union should make it 
c 



34 Baptist Young People at Work 

its own, however, and if necessary adopt changes 
to suit its own needs. It has been pointed out in 
a previous chapter that it might be helpful to in- 
sert a sentence in the constitution promising loyalty 
to the local church. In regard to the length of terms 
of office, a year is preferable to six months ; one does 
not want to swap horses in the middle of the stream. 
A good suggestion from experienced workers is 
that the officers be elected in April and begin work 
in July, thus getting acquainted with the routine by 
the time September arrives with its call for a vigor- 
ous launching forth into the yearly campaign. 

With regard to the names and number of com- 
mittees, there is room for difference of choice. A 
great number of inactive committees is a drag, but 
there are some societies, especially the larger ones, 
that need a greater variety of committees to keep 
their members in harness. When the need for a 
certain line of work is manifest and the committee 
in charge can clearly recognize its. own definite call, 
there will be no trouble. We want trolleys, not 
trailers. The average society will have at least these 
committees: (i) Membership or Lookout; (2) De- 
votional; (3) Instruction or Educational (for the 
reading and study courses) ; (4) Missionary (for 
the missionary meetings and offerings) ; (5) So- 
cial; and (6) Executive. The work of these com- 
mittees is to be outlined in succeeding chapters. 
The following also are sometimes used: (7) Tracts 
and Publications, or Literature Committee, to pro- 



The Way to Organize 35 

vide for the circulation of denominational and re- 
ligious literature, such as periodicals, tracts, and 
other good reading; (8) Temperance Committee; 
(9) Sunday-school Committee, to cooperate with the 
Sunday-school by visiting, bringing scholars, or as- 
sisting as the superintendent shall request; (10) 
Music Committee, to provide for successful conduct 
of the music at the young people's meetings; (11) 
Flower Committee, to furnish flowers for the pulpit 
and take them to the sick; (12) Relief or Benevo- 
lence Committee, to aid the poor; (13) Finance 
Committee, to oversee the needs of the treasury; 
and (14) Community Service Committee, to organ- 
ize neighborly helpfulness. 

What ages shall we invite into the union? At 
the time of organization a public invitation should 
be given to those between the ages of fifteen and 
twenty-five, but even this announcement should be so 
worded as not to discourage any who are on either 
border-line. Xo absolute limits dare be set. The 
bulk of membership should be between fifteen and 
twenty-two. The older young people may be re- 
minded, gently, that their graduation is in their own 
hands. Keep the societies young! Disregard of 
this has proved a positive detriment to many unions, 
of which it may be said: " Gray hairs are here and 
there upon them and they know it not." 

In congratulating the newly organized Baptist 
young people's union, we would offer three watch- 
words : 



36 



Baptist Young People at Work 



Boost 


Build 


Your 




Young 


Pastor 


People 


Up 


AND 

Bless 
Your 


Up 




Part of 


THE 




Universe. 



CHAPTER IV 

EFFICIENT OFFICERS 

The words at the head of this chapter are from 
the same Latin root, and may freely be translated 
" Doers who do." The officers of a society are 
more responsible for its success or failure than any 
other cause. Many a work is succeeding because 
of one devoted personality, who, like Sheridan at 
Winchester, rallies the forces about him. When, 
however, the doers are not doing their work the out- 
come is illustrated by a soldier who was telling his 
friends at home of his fright under fire. " Why 
did you not run to a tree ? " they asked. " Because 
there were not trees enough for the officers ! " An 
officer in the young people's society may be up a 
tree in any one of three senses. He may be mor- 
bidly modest, like Zaccheus ; he may be at a loss to 
know what to do next; or he may be afraid and 
unconsecrated in the presence of the task the Lord 
offers him. 

How careful we ought to be then in the selection 
of officers! The Nominating Committee and the 
pastor, with them, have special need of wisdom. Are 
we to choose only the older and more experienced 
members, or must we put forward the younger, un- 

37 



38 Baptist Young People at Work 

tried ones ? At first blush many would say that the 
welfare of the society is above the needs of the in- 
dividual, and hence we should fill the offices with 
the older persons. On the other hand we are 
reminded that the society will grow old and decrepit 
unless younger material is wrought into it con- 
stantly, and also that many a time a young man, as 
was said of a recent political leader, " grows up to 
his job." Let us strike a mean between these ex- 
tremes. Work in the younger ones gradually, not 
giving them the prominent offices until they have 
had some training in lower positions; never, of 
course, changing officers for the sake of " passing it 
around," or " to keep from offending Miss Blank." 
These qualities are essential : Desire to serve Christ, 
ability to understand one's relation to the whole 
work, dependableness, and initiative, or the knack 
of starting things. 

It is absolutely necessary for every officer to find 
out at the beginning just what his work is supposed 
to be. Accordingly this chapter is an attempt to 
state as clearly as possible the duties belonging to 
each office. 

The President 

The president is to lead, direct, and inspire the 
whole organization. His work has five phases as 
follows : 

1. He must convene and conduct the Executive 
Committee. This is composed of the officers of 



Efficient Officers 39 



the society and the chairmen of all standing com- 
mittees, and the president should regard it as his 
cabinet. Regular meetings will be held monthly in 
some attractive place. The president will find it 
necessary to solicit the attendance of each member 
personally. Any slight social features that may be 
added should not interfere with the business, which 
should be conducted as business. Include a season 
of prayer. Have the pastor present as often as pos- 
sible. Every committee chairman must make a brief 
report, stating (1) progress already made; (2) pres- 
ent problems; and (3) prospects and plans for the 
future. The whole gathering will discuss each re- 
port when made, and then the president may sug- 
gest any matters of business that the committee 
must talk over before placing it before the society. 
This is the place to plan practical work on behalf of 
the church and community in which all the com- 
mittees are to help enlist the whole membership. 
The support of the Executive Committee is essential 
for any general forward movement, and hence its 
meetings are very important. The first committee 
meeting of this kind after the president assumes 
office is the time to outline a definite policy for the 
year's work, the goal to be reached, and the Bible 
motto — these all to be presented to the society after- 
ward and voted upon. 

2. He must preside at the business meetings of 
the society. As little business as possible should be 
transacted in the weekly meeting. A monthly busi- 



40 Baptist Young People at Work 

ness meeting is too often for many societies, and it 
is generally best to hold the meeting subject to call 
by the Executive Committee. The annual business 
meeting, of course, is necessary. Every president 
should consult Robert's " Rules of Order,'' or its 
equivalent. " The Officers' Handbook," by Amos 
R. Wells, is very helpful for the work of all officers 
in the society. The order in a business meeting is: 
Devotion, Minutes, Reports (in writing) of Stand- 
ing Committees, Reports from Treasurer or other 
officers, Reports of Special Committees, Unfinished 
Business, New Business, Adjournment. One should 
learn to run smoothly and swiftly through unim- 
portant business. Sometimes enliven the general 
spirit with a hymn or special prayer. Many societies 
close with a social time. Here is a suggestion: 
After finishing the items of business, divide the 
whole company into groups of six or ten and an- 
nounce a problem to be solved relating to any phase 
of young people's work. A little bell is rung, and 
for ten minutes each group -is busy preparing a 
written answer to the question, which, when the 
bell is again rung, must be read aloud by one of the 
group. The best answer, in the opinion of three 
judges, entitles the successful group to rest or visit 
the others during the next ten minutes, during 
which a second question is answered. The success- 
ful group this time is matched for the third ques- 
tion with the first group, these two groups dividing 
up all the others between them as helpers, thus 



Efficient Officers 41 

making two camps. At the close of this last ten 
minutes the decision is finally awarded to the suc- 
cessful camp, and the other side must serve the light 
refreshments. For the last inning each camp should 
have a room by itself. 

3. The president must be an inspiration to the 
members in the weekly meeting. In some cases he 
is expected to conduct the meeting, introducing the 
leader of the devotional or study period and as- 
sisting him. In any case, the president should be 
an example to the others in greeting visitors, taking 
part, and general attitude. If a matter of business 
must be introduced, let him study to make it as 
brief as possible and see that it does not break into 
the spirit of the meeting. Make announcements 
briskly and brightly or not at all. Never scold. At 
the close of the meeting be sure to give the leader 
an encouraging word. 

4. The president will not let his society be a 
cave-dweller. He must lead it out into the in- 
spiration of the larger organizations of Baptist and 
other young people in city, association, State, and 
nation. He should always get out a good represen- 
tation at conventions, and arrange for his delegates 
to go in a special wagon or car with badge, banner, 
and song. From the addresses and conferences will 
come a widening of his own and the society's hori- 
zons. Meanwhile the president will be keeping a 
note-book in which to set down the good ideas he 
gets as to methods of working — ideas that will 



42 Baptist Young People at Work 

come not only from conventions, but from his read- 
ing of " Service " and similar papers and his per- 
sonal conversations with his pastor and other work- 
ers among young people. 

5. Finally, the president must bid farewell to the 
fond superstition that anything that is completely 
organized will run of itself. Not that he is to run 
his young people's society. Never ! Nor should he 
allow any one else to run it. But he must see that 
it runs! It is a mistake to say that an engineer 
runs his engine. It is the mystery of fire and 
steam that does the work; his task is but to make a 
slight motion with some one or two of its smaller 
parts in such a way that these mighty resources of 
power will respond with a single leap. In other 
words, he suggests when and how the engine is to 
run. The president must learn to make skilful sug- 
gestions. When others go to sleep he must be 
watching, and know how to wake them up swiftly 
and gently. Never find fault for what is not done 
unless you suggest just what can be done now. 
Committees are very disappointing things. One 
must tell some chairmen over and over again — 
sweetly, of course — how and when to have com- 
mittee meetings, and often the president may attend 
those meetings ex officio, and suggest further details 
for working. 

In short, he must have a map in his heart of just 
what he expects from each committee. Occasion- 
ally he will have a suggestion for individuals, and 



Efficient Officers 43 



often a prayerfully written letter will align some 
lagging soul. Suggesting is a fine art, and along 
with it must go the art of getting along with people. 
Do not be discouraged, dear young president, if 
human nature drags and the work moves slowly. 
Rome was not built in a day, and you are building 
your share of the everlasting kingdom of God. It 
may even be necessary for you to give up some 
cherished plan because there is such a strong op- 
position to it as to threaten a misunderstanding. In 
that case you can afford to be wise rather than 
have your own way. All this means that the presi- 
dency of a young people's society ought to develop 
in you patience, firmness, tact, and love, while con- 
tinually throwing you back upon the inner refuge, 
the quiet hour, the life in Christ. 

The Vice-president 

The vice-president is sometimes made chairman 
of one of the important committees. As an adviser 
of the president and one who watches his work 
so that he may take the president's place occasion- 
ally, he is getting good training and may develop 
into presidential timber himself. Sometimes the 
president may put him forward, even in his pres- 
ence. Whenever, of course, the president knows 
that he must be absent from a meeting where busi- 
ness will be transacted, he will notify the vice- 
president to be on hand and advise him as to the 
prospective business. 



44 Baptist Young People at Work 

The Recording Secretary 

The recording secretary may so magnify that 
office as to become a spiritual weather bureau. 
By looking at the record kept we shall see at a 
glance what the conditions are, whether the at- 
mosphere is warm or cold, whether a dry spell 
or showers of blessing are in sight. A good secre- 
tary will be: (i) Accurate; (2) brief; (3) con- 
scientious as to form and neatness; (4) distinct in 
utterance; (5) ever-present. These are the duties: 
(1) Keeping a record of all business transacted. 
Do not record motions that were lost nor, as a 
general thing, the names of those who made, 
seconded, and discussed motions. The minutes 
should be dated and signed each time written, and 
read at business meetings for correction and ap- 
proval. (2) Keeping a correct list of all mem- 
bers with their latest addresses, distinct places 
being given to active, associate, and honorary mem- 
bers. It is a great help to have every part of 
this roll up-to-date. (3) Calling the roll on special 
occasions. The regular " consecration meeting " 
has scarcely approved itself as a permanent institu- 
tion, but at times when such a procedure is helpful 
the roll should not be called in an uncertain, indis- 
tinct way, the secretary stumbling over names that 
are oddly spelled and reading a great many names 
of those who are absent. This depressing perform- 
ance should be displaced by having somewhere near 
the door cards, upon each of which is written a 



Efficient Officers 45 



member's name. On coming in, each one takes his 
card, and finds on it either some motto as a me- 
mento of the meeting or a suggestion as to the 
part he may take. At the close the secretary merely 
observes which cards are left unclaimed. Another 
way is simply to record the names of those present, 
perhaps by asking those to stand whose names be- 
gin with the first three letters of the alphabet, then 
those whose initial is one of the next three letters, 
and so on. The plan of keeping an account of just 
how often every member takes part in meeting is 
rather legalistic and " gendereth to bondage." 

The Corresponding Secretary 

The corresponding secretary is the nerve that leads 
out from the local society to the head of the wider or- 
ganization; for instance, that of the State or nation. 
The local society is but one organ in a great body, 
and if it does not act in harmony with the whole it 
has Saint Vitus' dance. The local society should not 
foolishly cut off its few dollars of support given to 
the larger unit, and try to get along without the 
abundant literature and correspondence and the visits 
of secretaries and workers which are all at its dis- 
posal. The corresponding secretary is to write at 
once as soon as elected, giving his or her name 
and any other statistics requested by the State or 
district office, asking at the same time for advice 
and literature upon some pressing problem of the 
society. If a member leaves town, this secretary 



46 Baptist Young People at Work 

should at once write to the Baptist young people in 
the town to which he goes, requesting them to wel- 
come him. This plan has been known to work 
very good results, and at least one society, in a 
great Western city, meets such individuals at the 
train, assists them in finding lodgings, and gives 
them a warm refuge of Christian fellowship. 

The Treasurer 

The treasurer's text is : " He that is faithful in 
that which is least is faithful also in much." The 
Lord loves a conscientious Christian accountant. 
(1) First, there is the keeping of accounts. It 
may be necessary to learn a little bookkeeping. 
When there are pledges from individuals to be 
taken care of, a good plan is to write the names 
down along the left-hand side of a left-hand page 
and, using both pages, rule twelve vertical columns, 
thus giving each one a separate square for each 
month's payment. When payments are overdue, 
collect them kindly in a businesslike manner. There 
will probably be different funds which must be kept 
separate; e. g., the current expense and the mis- 
sions fund. Then there will be the ordinary cash 
account, where all receipts and expenditures will 
be set down in detail as they occur. System in 
bookkeeping will help to make the reports in busi- 
ness meetings as simple and clear as possible. (2) 
Next there is the matter of raising the money. Our 
watchword here should be " Christian Stewardship," 



Efficient Officers 47 



for we are in training for this cause. Do not de- 
pend on sociables as money-raisers. Let us give in- 
stead. Sometimes the proceeds of a self-denial 
week are very pleasing. The best means of raising 
money is by personal pledges payable monthly in 
envelopes and generally collected at one of the 
meetings. It should be made plain that the small 
givers are welcome, and even a few cents a month 
will help. The treasurer should study the Scripture 
principles of Christian stewardship, and be ready 
to present them to others in a persuasive way. (3) 
There should be a clear understanding as to how 
the money should be paid. The plan of instructing 
the secretary to draw an order on the treasurer is 
cumbersome and unnecessary. Every year the 
society should vote as to the disposition of the 
various funds. Some societies order all receipts 
from regular sources divided into three parts, one 
for home missions, one for foreign missions, and 
one part to be available for the society's incidental 
expenses, such as literature and flowers. Others 
take half for expenses and half for missions. It 
must not be forgotten that there are matters not' to 
be classified directly under either of these heads — 
for example, the claim of the State or national or- 
ganization on local financial support — which must 
be taken care of. At any rate, after the society has 
thus voted to distribute its funds, the treasurer is at 
liberty to pay the missionary money through the 
church treasurer monthly or quarterly, specifying 



Baptist Young People at Work 



that it be sent on with the memorandum that it has 
come from the young people. Bills that come under 
the head of local expenses may be voted upon by 
the society if quite important; otherwise it is suf- 
ficient to have the authorization of the Executive 
Committee. 



CHAPTER V 

STRENGTHENING THE MEMBERSHIP 

What was it that dried up the Jordan ? " The 
waters which came down from above stood a great 
way off; and those that went down toward the sea 
were wholly cut off." What dries up a young 
people's society? The mere flight of years makes 
members old, and, like the waters that go down to 
the sea, their activity runs out; while the new mate- 
rial which should be flowing down the springs of 
youth stands a great way off untouched. 

What are the Needs of the Membership? 

Three things are needed for the strengthening of 
the membership : (i) An ever-flowing stream of new 
members. It is not merely that the society needs them, 
but every young church-member needs the society 
as the sphere and atmosphere of a larger growth, 
(2) Getting these new members into touch with the 
active life of the society. The waters that come 
down from above must not glide off into the shore 
shallows or be caught in backward eddies, but flow 
full into the main current. (3) Developing the as- 
sociate members and bringing them into the king- 
dom of God. 

d 49 



50 Baptist Young People at Work 

The Membership Committee 

It is the business of the Membership Commit- 
tee to attend to these three things. The chair- 
man should preferably be a young man, but an 
efficient young woman is better than a male figure- 
head. The chairman should by all means be a 
" mixer " and a " booster," but, most of all, should 
have an enthusiastic vision of the purpose and 
value of the young people's organization. He must 
be to the rest of the committee as the cap to the 
charge of dynamite; for no committee will go 
off unless it is set off. If the committee is large, 
it should be subdivided and a certain section ap- 
pointed for printing, another for visiting, and so 
on. If the committee is small, there must be from 
the start some provision for rallying others to its 
assistance. Some of the members will be pos- 
sessed of years and experience ; others are there to 
learn. Meetings of the committee must positively 
be held at least monthly, and at these times it will 
be a matter of common Christian morality to be on 
time. Every member should report what progress 
he has made, and the chairman should have sug- 
gestions. 

Securing New Members 

I. In this work we will remember that mere 
" boosting " is not all. We are not going into the 
undertaking for the sake of numbers and noise. 
The whole enterprise must be sanctified by the 



Strengthening the Membership 51 

Spirit of God. There will be prayer in committee 
meetings and in homes, that every person who may 
be won to the society shall at the same time be won 
to better service of Christ and a deeper life in him. 

2. As soon as it is formed, the committee will hold 
a good, businesslike meeting, at which the whole 
field of operation can be mapped out. Who are 
there in the Bible school that are not members of 
the society? What are the classes from which we 
can expect to get associate members? What young 
people are in the congregation? In answering such 
questions as these, there will be compiled a list of 
names and addresses covering the whole field for 
the committee to canvass, and each member will be 
given his part of the list to work upon. Sometimes 
it is a good plan to select certain ones as prospective 
members of the society and send several persons, 
one after the other, to speak with them. Approach 
the non-member in a serious way, and make the 
matter seem very important to him. Go after him 
again and again. 

3. Sometimes societies have divided into two sides 
for a red-and-blue contest. Buttons of these colors 
are worn bearing the legend " Bring One " ; until 
one is brought, when they read " Brought One." 
When the time set as the limit has arrived and the 
additions are all counted, the losers entertain the 
winners. The buttons may be had from the Pub- 
lication Society. This way of securing members 
has grave disadvantages, however, unless great care 



52 Baptist Young People at Work 

is used. Through the excitement of the contest 
whole netfuls of persons may be drawn in who have 
no very serious purpose. If this plan is used for 
the increasing of the attendance at meetings, it is 
necessary to emphasize the significance of member- 
ship. Sometimes the same general principle of 
rivalry may be used in other ways, as, for instance, 
when two societies in the same town compete for 
the largest aggregate attendance during two or three 
months. 

4. The " limited time campaign " sets a definite 
goal to be reached in a definite time. After it has 
been determined what would be a reasonable num- 
ber of additions to work for, let this number be 
set down at the top of a pasteboard thermometer 
or clock, and let progress be noted thereon from 
week to week. The Membership Committee must 
then ask all the society to help, only stipulating that 
the proposed member shall sign the pledge or other- 
wise give evidence of sincere purpose. 

5. At the beginning of the fall season there may 
be held a specially attractive meeting, at which a 
large number of non-members may be gathered, in 
order to have some one explain somewhat at length 
what the society is doing and what membership 
implies. Names may be taken of those who wish to 
join, and the Membership Committee can see these 
personally some time during that week. 

6. The importance of printed matter cannot be 
overestimated. Think of the immense volume of 



Strengthening the Membership 53 

business that is done to-day solely on the basis of 
the printed page. Invitation cards for the work of 
the union may be obtained of the Publication So- 
ciety, or, better still, you may invent a form of your 
own. The following is only one out of many sug- 
gestions that could be made : 

(Front of card) 



YOU WILL 

MISS A. GOOD THING 



IF YOU FAIL TO 

READ THE OTHER SIDE 



(Back of card) 



YOU ARE HEARTILY INVITED TO ATTEND 

THE BAPTIST YOUNG PEOPLE'S UNION 

OF THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH 
WHERE YOU MAY BE SURE OF A CORDIAL WELCOME 

GOOD MEETINGS AND BRIGHT SINGING 
AT 6.30 P. M. IN THE HOMELTKE ROOM 



7. Call at the homes of young persons whom you 
wish to bring into the society. Sometimes you will 
find one who is a stranger in town and who will 



54 Baptist Young People at Work 

appreciate your visit all the more because of what 
you represent. 

8. Give the Social Committee a list of uninter- 
ested persons who should be personally invited to 
sociables. Be sure, however, that they really get 
acquainted when they come. 

9. Emphasize throughout the importance of the 
pledge as the door into the society. It should not 
seem like a binding and shackling oath so much as 
a declaration of purpose. The signing of the pledge 
should not be perfunctory. Can you not suggest in 
a perfectly natural way that it would be well to 
take the pledge card home in order to pray over it ? 
Might not the pledge be the opening for a little 
spiritual conversation between young people who 
are desirous of serving their Saviour? 

10. The pledges being thus accepted, one of the 
Membership Committee should rise in the next 
weekly meeting of the society and propose the 
name as a new member. One week later the name 
is voted upon. When one or more members are 
voted in, the president will ask them to come to the 
front and the society to rise. After speaking a few 
words of welcome, he may call for the reading of 
the pledge in concert and a special brief prayer. 
The members may then be presented with a Bap- 
tist Young People's Union pin or other memento 
and sign the secretary's book containing the con- 
stitution ; then all may rise and, joining hands, sing 
" Blest be the tie that binds." 



Strengthening the Membership 55 

Holding Members 

When members are enrolled our work has just 
begun. Now we must be just as eager to hold them 
as we were to get them. 

1. Let them be assured that your personal interest 
continues. You should not act the part of spy, or 
" keep tab " too closely on the number of times they 
" take part." But if they are absent, let them know 
that they are " missed." If the absence extends 
over two or more Sundays, it is time to get into 
touch with them through postal card, letter, tele- 
phone, or, best of all, a frank, personal talk. At the 
monthly meeting of the Membership Committee the 
chairman should have a report from the secretary 
of the society with regard to absentees, and these 
should be assigned to certain ones, who are to re- 
mind them of their pledge obligations. 

2. But the only sure way to hold young people is 
to couple them up to the real work of the organ- 
ization. They must have something to do that in- 
terests them. Conspire with the Devotional Com- 
mittee and the leaders of meetings to give John Doe 
or Miss Blank some little part, not a task big enough 
to frighten them, but something that will serve to 
make them of some importance to the meeting. Re- 
mind the president that this or that one needs 
encouragement. Sometimes every member, as he 
comes in, is assigned to some one of the committees 
— a good plan, and one that gives the chairmen the 
responsibility of developing them. There are many 



56 Baptist Young People at Work 



things to be done that are interesting and worth 
while; playing a musical instrument, doing black- 
board writing, passing books and ushering, decora- 
ting the room, reading the Scripture, and so on, not 
to speak of the regular participation in the larger 
tasks of the society. When members are left stand- 
ing like so many box-cars on the side-track, they are 
fast becoming lost to the society. Couple them to 
the engine. 

3. A word as to dropping members. Do not do 
it until plenty of sincere attempts have been made 
to couple them on. Members that have moved 
away should be followed up by correspondence until 
safely within some other fold. If they cannot be 
traced, they must after a reasonable time be dropped. 
If accessible, they should not be removed from the 
roll without being notified. 

Associate Members 

1. Enroll associate members gladly. These are 
young people who have not yet publicly confessed 
Christ, but have enough interest to learn of him 
through association with his friends. In the normal 
society associate membership will be a stepping- 
stone into an active Christian life. Here there 
opens up an immense responsibility and privilege 
for the membership workers. There are some 
classes in the Bible school that might come in bodily 
on this basis. 

2. Associate members may be given verses to look 



Strengthening the Membership 57 

up and read in the meeting. In a reading course or 
study class they may participate like the others. Of 
course we should not expect public prayer or ex- 
pression of experience from them. They may serve 
on the Social and Flower committees or a committee 
to report on the pastor's morning sermon, and in 
many other ways be trained to have a part in the 
work. 

3. Meanwhile, the society should not let these 
young people be satisfied to remain associate mem- 
bers only. What a splendid opportunity to win 
them to full acceptance of the Saviour! What an 
inducement here for the leader of a meeting to 
create such an atmosphere that it shall be easy 
for some one to reach out and touch the hem of 
Jesus' garment! 

Members 

Enlist 

More members 

By 

Enthusiastically 
Reaching after 
Souls and 
Holding their 
Interest 
Perpetually. 



CHAPTER VI 

THE DEVOTIONAL MEETING 

" Men are still in black for the death of God." 
In this startling, though untrue, sentence of a great 
journalist is heard the cry of religious unrest so 
prevalent to-day. It is a cry for a fresh conscious- 
ness of God. The way to a consciousness of God is 
through experience of working with him and keep- 
ing him in our thoughts. To keep God in our 
thoughts is devotion. 

We believe that any organization that means to 
train the Christian life to find itself, as the young 
people's society means to do, must exalt the devo- 
tional meeting. We believe also that the devotional 
meeting can be made a real success. To those who 
may have questioned this we reply that in almost 
every instance where the meeting has not succeeded 
one or both of two reasons may be given — both of 
them such as to emphasize its needs all the more, 
These are: First, a low tide of spiritual life through- 
out the church-membership, making itself felt first 
of all in the church prayer meeting, and suggesting 
not the abolition of all prayer meetings, but a gen- 
eral renovation and regeneration. Secondly, the 
fact that the young people's meeting has not been 

58 



The Devotional Meeting 59 

taken seriously. The church has barely noticed its 
existence; pastor and deacons have not persistently 
planned for its work; and the young people them- 
selves have trifled with it. In other words, it has 
not been given the ghost of a chance. A thing can- 
not be said to have failed when it has never really 
been tried. 

The Seven-branched Candlestick 

Coming then to conscientious thought upon the 
matter, what do we find as the essentials of a suc- 
cessful devotional meeting? We may call them 
the branches of the great golden candlestick shed- 
ding light in the holy place, and discover that they 
are seven in number: 

Preparation 

Plan 

Praise 

Prayer 

Personal participation 

Prevention of monotony 

Practical results. 

I. Preparation 

1. Members of the society from the time they 
become such will notice that their pledge obliga- 
tions are emphasized. Accordingly they must re- 
member to look up the topic before the meeting. 
But better than this, there must be some one to 



60 Baptist Young People at Work 

see that they are all enrolled in the Daily Bible 
Reading and the Quiet Hour, for the abundance 
in the heart will easily overflow once a week. 
What a mistake to attempt to make a river flow un- 
less it has springs far back in the secret places of 
the hills ! 

2. The business of the Devotional Committee is 
to make every meeting a success. It must have its 
own meetings monthly to talk over the coming serv- 
ices with the leaders of that month. It must provide 
for five minutes of prayer with the leader before 
this meeting. It must get the topic-cards, obtain- 
able from the American Baptist Publication Society, 
preferably with the leaders' names inserted. The 
leaders must then be chosen for each half-year in 
advance; this in conference with the pastor. Gen- 
erally every member should be given an opportunity 
to lead, although there may be inexperienced ones 
who will do it best if acting in company with an- 
other. Some societies have profited by dividing 
themselves into four sections, each section to pro- 
vide a good meeting for one Sunday in the month; 
fifth Sundays to be left for the president. 

3. The leader must begin at least two weeks be- 
fore his meeting to prepare himself. Some one tells 
of a woman who was to lead a missionary meet- 
ing, but started late to reach the place. Hurrying 
down the street she passed a milliner's window, 
where her glance took in the price-mark on a hat, 
and so, still trying to collect her thoughts, she rushed 



The Devotional Meeting 61 

into the meeting and announced, " Hymn four dol- 
lars and a half! " Unpreparedness is nothing more 
or less than s-i-n. The one who is going to lead a 
meeting will find out exactly what the subject is, 
open his Bible to the text, and then kneel in prayer 
for guidance. He will think over the suggestions 
others have given him, read all he can in books, and 
especially in " Service," and then form in his own 
words the thought — the one thought — about which 
the meeting must center. He must select certain 
members who will help him with certain parts of 
the topic, think over some plan to interest and draw 
out the others, and finally prepare his own brief 
talk. He must not stand in the meeting and read 
the words of others, except for very brief quota- 
tions. Nor should he attempt a brilliant speech, but 
a helpful one. A good method is to write down 
carefully what you have to say, read it over and 
over, and then destroy the paper. 

II. Plan 

The leader thus shapes his plan for the meet- 
ing. It must stand clear in his own mind as 
the one thing that is God's will for that evening, 
and yet it will be flexible and elastic. It will allow 
room for others to take part unbidden, and for any 
unforeseen blessing that may suddenly be introduced. 
At the same time it will help the leader to " head 
off " any who may be too much like Tennyson's 
brook, " I wind about, and in and out, . . forever." 



62 Baptist Young People at Work 

No two plans should be the same, but something like 
this may illustrate the leader's plan : 

Open by calling for Bible verses. 

Stand to sing a song of praise. 

Concert exercise, Psalm i. 

Silent prayer, followed by leader's invocation. 

Topic announced. 

Scripture read, each half of the room taking a verse 
responsively. 

Leader shows blackboard with three or four questions 
for members to think about. 

A dozen Bible verses given out to be found, and read 
by the persons first finding them. 

One-minute talks by members specially prepared. 

Every one asked to take part in speaking, praying, or 
answering blackboard questions. 

Song, requests for prayer, and prayers. 

Leader's brief talk, summing up the meeting. 

President's three minutes. 

Dismiss. 

III. Praise 

i. This means, first of all, the singing. " Sound- 
ing brass and tinkling cymbal," aptly describes 
the aimless singing into which we are tempted 
to fall. Hymns selected for a purpose, however, 
and with that purpose indicated by a word or 
two in making the announcement of them, may be 
made a means of grace. Do not ask any one to sug- 
gest a song on the spur of the moment, unless you 
know your people unusually well. If, however, 
some one says, " I want to make my testimony in 



The Devotional Meeting 63 

the words of this hymn," by all means sing it. It 
is absolutely necessary to have an organist who is 
on time and keeps time; and it is good too, to 
have a chorister who does not forget his chorus. 
Beware losing valuable time at the beginning by an 
aimless succession of songs. Sometimes have all 
turn to a hymn and read it together as a prayer. 

2. Repeating Scripture verses to voice our praises 
is always helpful. Sometimes it is well for a group 
of members each to give a verse of a single psalm 
or hymn. A verse of the psalm put upon the black- 
board each week and learned by all will soon give 
the society the ability to repeat the whole psalm in 
concert from memory. 

3. No praise is more effective than a simple sen- 
tence from some timid young Christian who just 
rises to say, " I thank Christ for his salvation," or 
any utterance of praise for definite blessing. You 
may sometimes hold a service of thanksgiving by 
having those present write on slips of paper the 
things they are thankful for, these being then read 
out one after the other. " Serve the Lord with 
gladness." 

IV. Prayer 

1. Avoid these kinds of prayers: Long ones, 
insincere ones, rhetorical ones, and stereotyped 
ones. Some county papers buy a " patent in- 
side," which is just the same in every paper that 
buys it, and is the part you always skip if you 



64 Baptist Young People at Work 

are eager for news from home. Why? It is 
stereotyped. It is like the prayer that some one 
makes up from phrases out of the pastor's or 
deacon's mouth. You would be terribly shocked if 
the Lord should suddenly answer it. 

2. Cultivate brief prayers; prayers for some one 
person whose name may not be mentioned; prayers 
for something that is needed by all; prayers for 
the other young people; silent prayers and audible 
prayers. The leader should suggest objects for 
prayers; some need of the society, the church, or the 
mission field; some sick ones; and so on. Some- 
times he may ask all present to pray silently, each 
for some unsaved friend. Often he may call for 
requests for prayer, especially if any present want 
to come to Christ. Avoid asking the pastor to 
pray just to save yourself from trying your own 
wings. Sometimes suggest the words of a short 
scriptural prayer for all to repeat in concert. Finally 
do not forget to ask for testimonies to answered 
prayer. 

V. Personal Participation 

The success of a meeting depends very largely on 
the number who take part. Hence : 

1. Each member should bring his ray of sunshine. 
Can you not humbly and briefly speak of your life- 
purpose to follow Christ? Can you not pass on 
some good thing you have read, that you have first 
translated into terms of your own? Oh, do not 



The Devotional Meeting 65 

bandy about these slips of print from some pub- 
lisher a thousand miles away! If your committee 
in its work has struck a vein of ore, let us hear 
about it. When you read your Bible verse, why not 
add a sentence of your own, and set your seal to it 
that God is true ? Tell us why you want us to sing 
the song you call for. And always face the meeting, 
speaking to be heard. 

2. The leader must not " throw the meeting 
open " without showing the members where the 
door is, so that they may get into it. You must help 
us by your blackboard work to speak out; perhaps 
by your announcement of Bible references to be 
found; by slips of paper upon which each one may 
write his answer to a general question proposed; 
or through any of the ways suggested above. Ask 
ten volunteers to take part next time. Hand out a 
question on your topic to each one of six persons 
a whole week beforehand, asking them to prepare 
one-minute answers and give them in the meet- 
ing without being called on. Have two of the 
younger members read the Scripture passage. The 
youngest members can be formed into a committee 
to take turns in reporting the text and heads of the 
pastor's sermon. Finally, use novel methods of 
your own. 

VI. Prevention of Monotony 

Monotony kills a meeting. " I know what it will 
be like before I go; just the same old thing." The 

E 



66 Baptist Young People at Work 

one who makes that' remark will soon drop out. 
To a dead body every day is alike, and so is every 
Sunday to a dead society. The leader must have 
his meeting different from others. 

1. Novel kinds of meetings may help. There are 
the leaderless meeting, with program written on 
a blackboard in front; the chain meeting, each in- 
dividual who takes part calling for the next, whom 
he has prepared for this beforehand; the candle 
meeting, in which the room is partly darkened and 
some of the younger boys light a candle for each 
one who takes part; the circle meeting, individuals 
taking part in the order in which they sit — and 
others which you may yet devise. 

2. When the Devotional Committee advises lead- 
ers once a month, it can then provide that no two 
programs shall be alike. The order of service will 
stand a good deal of change. Change the looks of 
the room occasionally. Dr. George T. Webb sug- 
gests : " Instead of having the head of the meeting 
always at one point, it can be turned around to 
another part of the room; the chairs can be set in 
circular fashion, or as people come in let them be 
supplied with chairs to be placed according to their 
own sweet will. One society found it helpful to 
roll the big piano into the middle of the room, 
while the young people brought their chairs and sat 
all around the piano, and the song service on that 
occasion was perhaps the best feature of the meet- 
ing." One church changed the hour for the meet- 



The Devotional Meeting 67 

ing to the close of the preaching service, with a 
schedule something like this: " October 13, An Old- 
fashioned Sunday Evening Sing; October 20, A 
Question-box on the Sermon; October 27, A Bible 
Chalk Talk ; November 3, A Devotional Service." 

3. Deserving of special mention is the plan of 
combining the work of the study class or reading 
circle with the weekly devotional meeting. This, 
like the plan just referred to, appears to threaten 
the devotional character of the service, but it has 
many things to commend it. In considering educa- 
tional phases of young people's work this plan will 
be described. 

VII. Practical Results 

The topics discussed should be practical. But 
besides this there should be an effort to end with 
the feeling: What are we going to do about this 
matter? Committee experience will come up in 
these meetings. If any individual has brought 
another to the Christian decision, that should some- 
times be reported. Volunteers for any special 
work should be developed and called for by and 
in these meetings. The president must be alert 
to seize opportunity for this. Often the leader 
should have his topic illustrated by a first-hand 
investigation, either by himself or some one he picks 
out, of some actual conditions in the community. 
Above all, he should pray that in his meeting some 
one may be brought to yield as a sinner to the 



68 Baptist Young People at Work 

Saviour, and perhaps some one else may yield as 
a Christian to the service of his Lord. Devotion 
that stops with itself is misleading. It must flow 
out in real action or it becomes a stagnant pond. 

" And when they had prayed, the place was 
shaken where they were assembled together; and 
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they 
spake the work of God with boldness." 



CHAPTER VII 

SOCIAL LIFE 

" Rejoice with them that do rejoice." 
" Laugh, and the world laughs with you." 
" They had nothing unusual in their message, so 
far as I could see," some one said with regard to a 
certain Christian sect, " except that they were un- 
doubtedly happy, radiantly happy; but that was 
enough to satisfy me." 

" It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of 
things that, while there is infection in disease and 
sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly 
contagious as laughter and good humor." — Dickens. 
A man who attended one of William A. Sunday's 
meetings said : " They began with Yankee Doodle 
and ended with one hundred and eighty-eight people 
coming forward." 

Life's a mirror; if we smile, 
Smiles come back to greet us; 

If we're frowning all the while, 
Frowns forever meet us. 

These quotations are enough to show the wonder- 
ful power of joy and laughter to draw human be- 
ings closer together and become the carriers to 
others of our choicest spiritual possessions. 

6 9 



jo Baptist Young People at Work 

Importance of the Social Life 

But this wonderful social force has its dangers as 
well as blessings. And just on that account it ought 
to be captured for Christ. Unchristian pleasure, such 
as promiscuous dancing, cheap theatergoing, and 
general night-prowling has in it the deadliest peril for 
American young people. In " The Spirit of Youth 
and the City Streets," Miss Addams has pointed out 
this danger and shown that it is due to the fact that 
the mighty instinct of play is firmly planted in youth, 
and when a great instinct is improperly excited, as 
it is on the city streets, there is no end to the havoc 
wrought. Municipal playgrounds and similar insti- 
tutions may control the situation as far as public 
decency is concerned, but they can never sanctify 
play and pleasure and make them Christian. Only 
the Spirit of the joyful God working through Chris- 
tian young people can win other young people to a 
pure and healthful enjoyment of life. 

The Spirit, of course, uses means, and one means 
certainly is contact with others in wholesome, youth- 
ful pleasures, or, in other words, the " social." 
(The dictionary spells it' " sociable," but usage seems 
to have abandoned the longer term.) Is there not 
a demand here for more study on the part of pastors 
and committees of the possibilities of Christian 
pleasures under church supervision? In how many 
cases, alas, are the socials grudgingly " permitted," 
and any supervision whatever lacking! Well-regu- 
lated socials are a necessity for the youth. 



Social Life yi 



The Essentials of a Good Social 
Here they are: 

i. Souls intent on saving souls. 

2. Opportune occasion. 

3. Committee-preparation. 

4. Invitations that invite. 

5. Action for all. 

6. Laughter, life, and light refreshments. 

1. It is of prime importance to make sure that the 
good time is also a Christian good time. The writer 
remembers still, the intense pleasure of the first so- 
cial he attended and its quiet closing, when the good 
pastor said : " Now it is ten o'clock, and I for one 
must go home. Shall we not read a chapter and 
pray ? " Nothing incongruous here, and no one 
displeased. The other extreme is possible ; we refer 
to the late hours, aimlessness, and occasional im- 
proprieties of some socials where there are not even 
any chaperons. If ten o'clock seems too early for 
the closing in some quarters where nothing can be- 
gin until eight-thirty, at least before eleven all 
should be safely on the way home. Two married 
couples, who are also active Christians, should be 
specially invited to be present. 

2. Study opportune occasions. You may have, 
for instance, a New Year's reception, a Valentine 
party, a Saint Patrick's evening (especially since our 
professors have assured us of the Baptist character 
of this good saint), an April Fool's day, May-day, 



72 Baptist Young People at Work 

June social, Hallowe'en, Thanksgiving social, and 
others. After receiving any considerable number of 
new members, the society can hold a social in their 
honor. Churches with a student attendance have 
made a great success out of an informal reception 
for the new students in the fall of the year. At 
Thanksgiving time special invitations can be issued 
to young men and women who cannot go to the old 
home on that occasion. Some societies have a regu- 
lar monthly time for socials. Very good, if there 
are not too many other organizations in the church 
giving socials and including the same young people. 
Always the Social Committee should confer with 
the pastor and others to make sure that it does 
not plan socials to conflict with other church events. 
The social in connection with the business meeting 
is often a success, provided it does not interfere 
with having a real business meeting. A patriotic 
social may be held on some special holiday. 

3. A social will not run itself. Preparation, plan, 
and program are absolutely necessary. The Social 
Committee is often a large one, and should not suffer 
from lack of suggestions. It must meet once a 
month and answer these questions: Was our last 
social a success ? Why ? or why not ? What can we 
do to make the next one a success? How make it 
different in plan? What shall be the central idea? 
Who shall be the subcommittee on decorations? 
Who shall greet the guests as they arrive? Who 
shall have charge of publicity and invitation? Who 



Social Life 73 



shall serve the refreshments? Who direct the 
games ? The chairman of the committee must guard 
against doing too much of the work himself, or 
allowing it to be done by the same ones each time. 
Associate members should be utilized, and some 
active members who are new can be " drawn out " 
and developed by easy tasks like these. 

4. A social is not a success unless there are some 
strangers or diffident young people who are thereby 
made acquainted. These are the very persons, how- 
ever, who will not come unless they are individually 
and repeatedly invited. Often they must be under 
the special charge of some one who will bring them 
to the social and see that they are made acquainted 
and take part in games. It is a popular fallacy that a 
public announcement is an invitation. It is not. The 
public announcement is necessary, and it will suf- 
fice for the majority of your people. But there must 
also be plenty of personal invitations, given either 
orally or in writing. Be careful lest your socials 
become merely " a jolly good time " for your own 
set. The following, with some alterations, was once 
used as an invitation: 

When the day is done, and the darkness 

Falls from the wings of night, 
The Baptist young people invite you 

To their church, where all is bright, 
Six-thirty to nine in the evening, 

October the thirty-first day — 
And your cares will pack up like the Arabs, 

And as silently steal away. 



74 Baptist Young People at Work 

5. There must be action for all. A literary and 
musical program is not so enjoyable as a social in 
which all that are present have something to do. 
The only way to prevent wall-flowers is to plan a 
series of exercises or games in which all are asked to 
join. To break up any possible formality, the old 
plan is a good one: Fasten a paper bag upon each 
one's hand on entering, commanding that it be worn 
until worn off in the process of handshaking. Some 
make up tiny booklets of writing-paper with a pencil 
attached, and ask each one to fill his book by getting 
the signatures of others in the room, taking this as 
a means of introduction to them. Or, you can write 
down on slips of paper several well-known or dis- 
tinguished names, and pin these to the backs of the 
guests, causing each one to guess his name by asking 
his neighbors questions answerable only by " yes " 
or "no." 

6. You must have laughter and life. Have such 
a " capital good time " that they will talk about it 
for weeks. Beware the formal, the intellectual, the 
dull, the old. The best refreshments are light re- 
freshments. Since the dawn of time the act of 
eating together has had an immense social signifi- 
cance ; it makes everybody " loosen up." But if you 
overdo the menu it will detract from the entertain- 
ment, prove unduly expensive, and only show bad 
taste. Sometimes home-made refreshments may be 
donated by the members, thus inducing sociability 
and at the same time reducing the expense. 



Social Life 75 



What About "Pay Socials"? 

We have been taking for granted that your so- 
cial is to be a Christian good time, without any 
reference to money-making whatever. If you ar- 
range some method of raising money by concerted 
action, it would hardly be a social in the ordinary 
sense of the word. Opinions differ as to whether 
a young people's society ought to try to raise 
money by entertainments and similar means. It is 
better when these are entirely subject to the pas- 
tor's advice. They should never be confused with 
a social in the sense adopted above. It is em- 
barrassing to invite unconverted friends to an event 
where they may feel that advantage has been taken 
of them. 

Books Suggested 

" Five Hundred Ways to Help Your Church," 
" The Minister's Social Helper," Sunday School 
Times, $1.00 each. " Social Plans for Young Peo- 
ple," Methodist Book Company, 75 cents. " The 
Book of a Hundred Games," " Bright Ideas for 
Entertaining," Jacobs, 50 cents each. " The Social 
to Save," " Social Evenings," and " Eighty Pleasant 
Evenings," all three published by the United Society 
of Christian Endeavor, 38 cents each. 

Books like these and including these will be found 
in many public libraries. The American Baptist 
Publication Society will supply all of them from its 
headquarters in Philadelphia or its branches in Bos- 



j6 Baptist Young People at Work 

ton, Chicago, St. Louis, and Toronto. Get one of 
them for your Social Committee. 

A Few Ideas that Have Worked 

A society invited the young people to gather at 
the church at a certain hour. After waiting a little 
to make sure everybody was on hand, the leaders for 
the evening told them to get into their wraps and 
follow. They were conducted to a street-car and 
went a long distance, to the edge of the city, where, 
greatly mystified, they disembarked. The pastor and 
other older ones were with the party. After some 
walking in a bit of vacant land, at first one and then 
another paper lantern was seen pointing the way 
through a pretty little vale to a large open space lit 
with many lanterns. Here they all had an outdoor 
good time, with " drop the handkerchief " and 
similar games. If Our memory serves us rightly, a 
bonfire added its glow to the scene. 

At another social all those present were divided 
into three parts and leaders selected, who were 
named Taft, Roosevelt, and Wilson. Each party 
had to perform in any way it chose before the others, 
and a prize was awarded by two judges. Two par- 
ties gave charades, but the Wilson party won, hav- 
ing presented an election-night jubilation. A stunt 
social is always interesting. Try having Goldilocks 
and the Three Bears acted out by four people. 
" Magic music " is good. One person leaves the 
room, and the others decide on some little thing 



Social Life 77 



that he is to do with some prominent object in the 
room; when they call him back he learns by the 
loud or soft piano-playing whether he is far or near 
in doing what is required. One of the games that 
never wears out is charades, especially if two sides 
are formed, one side to guess what the other does. 

Other Work Outside of the Socials 

This is expected from the Social Committee. They 
are to visit the homes of any young people who 
for any reason would appreciate such attention 
and are to be constantly alert at the beginning 
and closing of the weekly meeting to help diffident 
persons get acquainted. The chairman should issue 
orders to his members never to speak at the close 
of a meeting to some one they know already until 
they have first found and greeted some one they 
do not know, if such person be there. Sometimes 
it is perfectly proper to speak before you are intro- 
duced. Proof for that statement? Certainly. In 
the eighth chapter of the Acts it is said that Philip 
met an Ethiopian eunuch without any introduction, 
and straightway led him to Jesus Christ. 



CHAPTER VIII 

EDUCATIONAL PLANS 

Why do Educational Work? 

i. Because light precedes life. The first chap- 
ter of Genesis tells us that. Knowledge is power. 
Inspiration without information ends in inflamma- 
tion of the ego. Some one says : " What the church 
needs is an acute attack of information of the 
brain followed by an application of the heart." 
What is it that cripples our great denominational 
movements, except lack of knowledge on the part of 
our members of the things we are trying to do? 
Many a Christian life languishes not because we 
are mean, but because we do not know how to use 
the means of grace. 

2. Because the first word in spiritual growth is, 
" Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord." 
The first word in Christian work is, " Study to show 
thyself approved." The first word in social serv- 
ice is " a community survey." The first word in 
missions is, " Lift up your eyes and look on the 
fields.'' 

3. Because young people who have taken a special 
pledge committing them definitely to Christian serv- 
ice need supplemental studies that the Bible school 

78 



Educational Plans 79 

in most churches cannot give. The Bible school is 
tending toward a more purposeful course of study 
and aims to train Christian workers, but for a long 
time it will probably still be true that a great many 
schools find themselves unable to go beyond the rudi- 
ments of general Bible instruction. Young people 
must have special training in the study of social 
service, home and foreign missions, evangelism, and 
denominational principles and history. 

Not Duplicating the Bible school 

The Bible school must gather in one company all 
who enroll themselves for any purpose whatever. 
In the courses of the young people's society, mem- 
bers take part for the sake of preparing for service. 
Hence the Bible school must give a comprehensive 
treatment of the fundamental teachings of the Bible. 
The young people's study course does not attempt 
anything so comprehensive, but attacks those prob- 
lems that belong to a young Christian looking for- 
ward to doing the Lord's work. The Bible school 
exists for education and impression; the society 
exists for action and expression. The school, how- 
ever, cannot educate without suggesting certain ac- 
tion, since we learn by precept plus practice. And, 
on the other hand, the young people's society can- 
not act and express without considerable education, 
since special education is necessary to action. The 
education thus exists for the work to be done. " We 
study that we may serve." 



80 Baptist Young People at Work 

May we here remind pastors, superintendents, and 
deacons that it is necessary for some one to plan as 
a whole all the educational work done in the church 
by all of its organizations? Thus "one organization 
will really supplement and not duplicate another, 
and the members as they enter the church will enter 
at the same time an educational system that moves 
on to a certain goal. We urge the recommendation 
of the Baptist Commission on Religious and Moral 
Education that each church appoint a Committee on 
Religious Education with power. 

" The Three C's " 

Two years after the Baptist Young People's 
Union of America had been formed, the plan 
to educate young people for effective service 
became known as the three Christian Culture 
Courses. These courses are: (i) The Bible Read- 
ers' Course, or a schedule of passages to be read by 
each member privately each day, which takes him 
through the Bible in four years. (2) The Sacred 
Literature Course, comprising a special study for 
each year, the material for which is now published 
annually in book form. This course is best pursued 
in classes. Its subject-matter may be summed up as : 
Things the young twentieth-century Baptist ought 
to know. (3) The Conquest Missionary Course, or 
a schedule of missionary topics for use in the 
weekly meeting of the society on the last Sunday 
of each month. On these three courses an exam- 



Educational Plans 81 

ination may be taken by each student in April of 
each year. Blanks with questions are obtainable 
from the Publication Society, 1 701 -1703 Chestnut 
Street, Philadelphia, which are to be returned by 
May first to the Young People's Department of that 
Society, with a fee of ten cents for each course 
upon which one is examined. The whole system of 
courses is arranged so that every four years one 
has passed through a cycle of studies that earns him 
a diploma. To secure the diploma one must send to 
the headquarters just indicated the four certificates 
he has received attesting his successful graduation 
from each of the four consecutive years of work. 
The entire range of the Christian Culture Courses is 
covered by that indispensable magazine for all young 
Baptists, " Service," which has comments and ex- 
planations under each of the heads indicated. 

The Signal-lamp 

The three C's are all necessary. The society 
may be likened to a railway light. The Bible 
Readers' Course pours in the oil. The Sacred 
Literature Course trims the wick, wipes the re- 
flector, studies the best location for the lamp, pre- 
pares all the accessories. The Conquest Course 
traces the path of the beams of light out into the 
great, dark world. The Conquest Missionary Course 
will be treated in the following chapter of this book, 
under the work of the Missionary Committee. The 
other two courses will be discussed here. 



82 Baptist Young People at Work 



The Bible Readers' Course 

We must every day be pouring oil into the lamp 
that is to shine for Jesus. This subject is far more 
important than would appear from the space given in 
these pages. You put your finger on a startling 
weakness of our churches when you say: " Our peo- 
ple are not reading the Bible in their homes." A 
minister cannot allude here and there in his sermon 
to events in Old Testament story without pausing to 
explain every allusion, simply because his people do 
not know what he means. A minister from the 
United States who was preaching in an old Canadian 
Presbyterian church was surprised, on announcing 
his Bible passage, by a rustling of leaves all over 
the house, and, looking down, saw that almost every 
auditor was turning to the Scripture in order to 
follow it with the preacher. The sermon was one 
of the most fervent our friend ever preached, but 
it was largely due to the congregation. They had 
learned the Bible-habit at home. Now, our middle- 
aged church-members will probably not learn Bible- 
reading as a habit ; habit- forming belongs to youth. 
The advantages of the Bible Readers' Course are 
these : ( i ) It forms a concerted plan for Bible read- 
ing which observation shows is necessary, for if left 
to themselves people seldom keep up the practice. 
(2) This plan is a systematic and consecutive series 
of readings, quite different from the hop-skip-and- 
jump method which takes one here and there all 
over the Bible without any reference to the par- 



Educational Plans 83 

ticular message of each book or its order in the 
great plan. (3) It is comprehensive, not confined 
to the well-worn paths around a few of the more 
popular psalms, epistles, and narratives. It is so 
arranged that on the same days all the members 
read the same portions. In each year you will read 
through the New Testament, and in four years 
finish the Old, reading each day some passage in 
each. Leaflets containing the readings for each 
quarter are sold by the Publication Society at half 
a cent apiece. The readings, with comments, are also 
given in " Service." 

Sacred Literature Course — the Material 

The following text-books are available for use in 
this study. They are all published by the American 
Baptist Publication Society in Philadelphia, and are 
sold for fifty cents apiece, except the first, which is 
sixty cents : 

" The Young Christian and His Lord." By J. S. Kirtley, 
D. D. (A study of the life of Christ.) 

" The Young Christian and the Early Church." By J. 
W. Conley, D. D. 

"The Young Christian and His Bible." By W. H. 
Geistweit, D. D. 

" The Young Christian and His Work." By Z. Grenell, 
D. D. 

" The Social Gospel." By Shailer Mathews, D. D. (Set- 
ting forth the Christian attitude toward modern social 
problems.) 

"The Gospel at Work in Modern Life." By Robert 
Whitaker, D. D. 



84 Baptist Young People at Work 

"Truths that Abide." By W. W. Dawley, D. D. (A 
short study of essential Baptist doctrines. This was the 
text-book for 1911-1912.) 

" Seed Thoughts for Right Living." By A. S. Hobart, 
D. D. (The substance of this strong treatise on practical 
Christian ethics was presented in " Service," beginning 
October, 1912, in a series of twelve lessons or suggestions 
to teachers and students. The entire book is to be read in 
connection with this treatment of the course.) 

" A Restatement of Baptist Principles." By Philip L. 
Jones, D. D. (This book was the first issued by the Young 
People's Commission of the Northern Baptist Convention 
and recommended by the Baptist Young People's Union of 
America, and by the United Society of Christian Endeavor 
for use in Christian Endeavor Societies in Baptist 
Churches.) 

Of course there are many other books that can be 
read and studied in a young people's study class. 
The above, however, have been specially written in 
view of the prevailing needs. Other books men- 
tioned in this chapter in other connections may be 
helpful in place of the distinctive Sacred Literature 
study. A young people's society that cannot see 
how to have both a mission-study and a Sacred 
Literature class may substitute mission study, using 
any of the books listed in the following chapter. 
We might mention especially, however : " Restate- 
ment of Baptist Principles" (Jones), "Handbook 
on Baptist History" (Vedder), "Axioms of Re- 
ligion" (Mullins), "Why Is Christianity True?" 
(Mullins), "Method in Soul-winning" (Mabie), 
"Twice-Born Men" (Begbie) ; "Conservation of 



Educational Plans 85 

National Ideals" (Women's Mission-study Text), 
"The Redemption of the City" (Sears), " The 
Challenge of the City" (Strong), "The Church in 
the Open Country" (Wilson), "Community Sur- 
vey" (Wilson). Especially would it be helpful to 
use a few good religious biographies. The pastor 
and the Educational Committee have a wide range 
of works to select from. 

Sacred Literature Course — how Studied 

1. A good way is to organize a class that meets 
some evening during the week. The teacher should 
be preferably a layman (or, shall we say, " lay- 
woman") who has some degree of application and 
skill. Often such a person is so hard to find that 
the poor, overworked pastor must teach. This 
may, however, be good for him and for the students 
as well. Every member of the class should be pro- 
vided with a text-book and prepare the lesson be- 
forehand. There should be a quiz with each lesson. 
It is generally wise to assign special subtopics to 
individuals, who must report in class on such as- 
signments. The teacher should know all there is in 
the text-book and a little more. He should knoAV how 
to draw out discussion and keep it on the subject 
without using up too much time and hastening the 
latter third of the lesson. Lessons should not be 
longer than one hour. There should always be a de- 
votional opening and closing. Each time you may also 
provide one special surprise in the way of a bit of 



86 Baptist Young People at Work 

music or short talk by a visitor. These things should 
be kept very brief, however. Note-books and pencils 
should be in evidence, and a blackboard will help 
the teacher greatly. One teacher tries to get the 
students to tell him what they consider the salient 
points, allowing some difference of opinion and dis- 
cussion, of course, and then sets these down on the 
blackboard. Or, sum up the lesson in your own 
mind in an acrostic of some sort and put down the 
key- words as you develop them. Interrupt yourself 
often with questions, but never any hard questions. 

2. Only in cases where it is impossible to get 
together and study the book, it might be well to 
recommend the book to as many individuals as pos- 
sible for private reading. 

3. There is another way, which is perhaps the 
most successful at present. This is to have the 
study combined with the weekly devotional meeting. 
Be sure to guard well the time given for really 
devotional worship in case this plan is adopted. 
Also, do your utmost that a good number of attend- 
ants may have a copy of the text-book. The best 
combination plan is the following one, recommended 
by Rev. A. M. Dixon, former field secretary of the 
Baptist Young People's Union of America. 

"The Combination Meeting" 

" No society will do its best work if the regular 
weekly meeting is not a success. Nor can it do its 
best work if it is not aggressive along the line of the 



Educational Plans 87 

Christian Culture Courses. By adopting the com- 
bination meeting both problems are solved. The 
weekly meeting is made a real success, and time is 
found for the Christian Culture work. 

" The plan is to use each Sunday evening, or 
other regular meeting night, for nine months, ex- 
cepting the time of the monthly conquest missionary 
meeting. The president takes charge of the meeting. 
There is first an opening period of fifteen or twenty 
minutes of a devotional nature. Then the gather- 
ing divides into two or more classes, which spend 
twenty-five minutes in the study, a prominent fea- 
ture of which is the reporting on assignments or 
lessons given out the week before, along with dis- 
cussion. For the last ten or fifteen minutes the 
young people are all together again. The time is 
now given to testimony and prayer, one person from 
each class making a two-minute report of the lead- 
ing thought brought out in the class period. 

" Every society should have at least two classes 
because of the range in its membership, younger 
ones not agreeing with the older ones as to the most 
desirable courses." The writer of this book raises 
a query here. Are there not many small societies 
that could have only one class? The greatest suc- 
cess will be found in adopting some such plan as this : 
a reading class, a personal workers' class, a study 
class. The reading class suits itself best to the 
least intellectually disposed. The personal workers' 
class will be a vital force ; one pastor who has tried 



88 Baptist Young People at Work 

the combination plan says that this one class has 
completely transformed the activities of his young 
people. The study class is for those that want to 
study. The following books are suggested for the 
various courses: 

i. Reading class: "Men of Mark in Modern 
Missions," " Heroes of Modern Missions," " The 
Frontier," " Uganda's White Man of Work." 

2. Personal workers' class : " Method in Soul- 
winning," " Taking Men Alive," " How to Bring 
Men to Christ," "2 Timothy 2: 15." 

3. Study class : The books recommended for the 
Sacred Literature Course. 

The combination meeting has now been tried in 
a great many societies with very gratifying results. 
It is substantially the plan used by the Park Avenue 
Church in Rochester, N. Y., the First Church in 
Dayton, Ohio, and others in other States. Those 
who have tried it are well pleased with its success. 

Advanced Education 

The following books are recommended by the 
Baptist Young People's Union of America for ad- 
vanced work in Christian Culture : " The Monu- 
ments and the Old Testament" (Price), "The 
Ancestry of Our English Bible " (Price), " Why is 
Christianity True?" (Mullins), "Two Thousand 
Years of Missions Before Carey" (Barnes). The 
general secretary is offering also correspondence 
courses dealing with methods and fundamental doc- 



Educational Plans 89 

trines in such a way as to develop individual expert 
young people's workers. The courses are open to 
all Baptist young people. Information will be avail- 
able upon writing to Secretary W. E. Chalmers, 
1701 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia. 

The Education Committee 

In the local society the Education Committee is 
the one that must plan, start, and direct all the 
work of the Sacred Literature Course, the Bible 
Readers' Course, and these other reading and 
study courses mentioned. The pastor must have 
a voice in all its plans. It should be large enough 
to have a subcommittee on the Bible Readers' 
Course, who shall enroll members in that work 
and take their monthly reports on cards, such as 
are furnished by the Publication Society, which 
the reader is to mark at home, and shall supply 
all who may take part with the quarterly leaflets. 
It should enroll not only the young people, but 
all the young and old in the whole congregation 
in this splendid plan of daily Bible reading. There 
should also be a subcommittee on good literature, 
provided the society has no regular committee on 
that subject, with the mission "of promoting good 
reading among the young people, especially urging 
the subscription to " Service." The whole com- 
mittee on education should have regular, business- 
like meetings and learn to " boost " its special work. 
It must look over all possible courses suggested, 



90 Baptist Young People at Work 

decide on the best books and methods, and report 
to the Executive Committee, which may then get 
the action of the whole society. This implies a 
meeting at the beginning of September to plan the 
work of the next nine months. The Christian Cul- 
ture Day, observed about the third Sunday in Sep- 
tember, will be a good occasion for some stirring 
talks on the whole educational program, and at this 
time the classes should endeavor to enroll as many 
as possible. In short, the Education Committee 
must : 

ICnroll 

Direct Best 

Unify Young 

Classify the People in the 

Attract VJniverse. 

Teach and 

Energize 



CHAPTER IX 

MISSIONARY METHODS 



The Argument for Missions 

The light portion of the above figure represents 
150,000,000 Protestants, or one-tenth the population 
of the world. The shaded portion is for 350,000,000 
Roman and Greek Catholics and nominal Christians. 
The black area represents 1,000,000,000 heathen. 
And Christ died for 1,500,000,000. There is the 
argument for missions. By missions we mean that 
sort of work for human souls that takes us out of 
the centers of church influence, where so many peo- 
ple are able to help, to places in which we stand 
alone or almost alone as Christians. Robert E. 
Speer supposes, by way of illustration, that you are 
on the bank of a river and observe a man drown- 
ing while ten men are working to rescue him ; a little 
farther on ten men are in danger and only one man 

9i 



92 Baptist Young People at Work 

rescuing; whom, then, he asks, would you help? 
The ten men who are saving the one, or the one 
man who is saving the ten ? 

The Missionary Committee 

1. Its personnel. Here we need thoughtful, 
prayerful, and resourceful persons headed by a 
chairman who knows how to pray, persevere, pre- 
pare plenty of plans, and push. The committee must 
really believe in missions and be willing to do some 
hard work. For no methods that were ever invented 
will dispense with the necessity of hard work or 
open to us a royal road. 

2. Its purpose is to educate all the young people 
in missions, and to educate with the thought of 
developing volunteers for the field, training young 
Christians in systematic and consecrated giving, and 
aligning the society with the missionary work of its 
church and denomination. 

The Missionary Meeting 

In all plans for this meeting, especially if the 
Conquest Missionary Course is followed, " Serv- 
ice " will be an inestimable help. Let us not forget, 
by the way, that the Conquest topics are certainly 
the best for Baptist young people. Miss Belle M. 
Brain's little books are also very suggestive — " Fuel 
for Missionary Fires " and " Fifty Missionary Pro- 
grams." Missionary meetings must be at least two 
full weeks in preparation. No two of them should 



Missionary Methods 93 

be alike. It is a crime to allow these meetings to 
become dull or trivial. They must always be bright, 
interesting, convincing, full of movement, varied, 
glimpsing the heroic. There should be incidents, 
stories, pictures, maps, curios, costumes, debate, dis- 
cussion, poetry, song, decision, prayer. 

To bring variety into your missionary meeting 
try the following: 

1. An impersonation meeting. A young man saw 
" The World in Cincinnati " and said, " Why can't 
we do that on a small scale in our own church?" 
Accordingly, he arranged to have different indi- 
viduals impersonate in costume the various nation- 
alities seen at Ellis Island — the topic being con- 
cerned with immigration. In another society where 
this was done one person " spent an evening inter- 
viewing an Irish neighbor to get the brogue." 

2. Addresses, illustrated with stereopticon slides, 
such as are furnished by our Forward Movement 
for Missionary Education, Ford Building, Boston. 

3. A debate. Suggested questions: "Resolved, 
That a gift of a million dollars would be better 
spent in evangelistic work than in schools and edu- 
cation." " Resolved, That China needs missionaries 
more than the Congo does." Debates are always 
interesting, and they compel the participants at least 
to read and study. 

4. A talk by a live missionary. Request him or 
her to confine the address very largely to stories of 
actual happenings on the field. 



94 Baptist Young People at Work 

5. A post-office meeting. Certain ones in the 
society are requested to prepare letters purporting 
to be written from certain mission stations and de- 
scribing the work there. Each letter may be ad- 
dressed to the person who really wrote it, and 
delivered to him in the meeting by some one who 
impersonates a postman, when it may be opened and 
read. When reading for others always speak very 
slowly and distinctly. 

6. The free use of charts, pictures, and curios. 
These may be obtained from the headquarters of 
the Forward Movement. (Address as noted above.) 

7. " Missionary Salad." Take pieces of green 
tissue-paper and crumple them to resemble lettuce 
leaves, pasting under each one a short story or fact 
about missions. Pass the dish around, and let each 
person serve himself to a leaf and read its message. 

8. An imaginary trip to a mission field. This can 
be done with the aid of several persons, who each 
take the society part of the way. A map may be 
drawn on a blackboard, and each one steps up in his 
turn and describes his own portion of the journey, 
first pinning to the map at the proper place a card 
with the name of the town at which he begins. 

9. A program meeting. Have some few well- 
selected recitations by younger members, a map 
exercise, special music, special prayer, and some 
talks. Let the talks be about three Or four minutes 
each by members who have previously worked over 
some material submitted them. It is almost never 



Missionary Methods 95 

allowable for you to try to read what some one else 
has printed. Very few can read so as to be under- 
stood by others. Reading from a printed slip is 
generally a mark of intellectual laziness. Try hand- 
ing out short stories to persons who are given two 
weeks in which to prepare to retell that story in 
their own words. The effect is remarkable. At 
some meetings a chain story may be very good. 
This is a good short missionary story copied on the 
typewriter and cut up into numbered slips, which are 
passed out to the meeting promiscuously and then 
called for by number in their order. No one but 
the leader should know what the story is until read 
in this way. 

The Missionary Social 

Success may call for the use of one of the above 
ideas elaborated and aided by costumes, decorations, 
written invitations, refreshments, flowers, and so on. 
Younger members may be glad to help by building 
native houses, sedan-chairs, and such things for the 
scenery, and by wearing costumes. The Mock 
Trial is a delightful and surprising success. In this 
the church is arraigned for not doing its duty to the 
heathen. A form for it has been printed : write to 
the Forward Movement. 

The Missionary Library 

This is to be held as one of the society's most 
desirable acquisitions, and the Missionary Com- 



g6 Baptist Young People at Work 

mittee must plan for it. The Missionary Educa- 
tion Movement supplies small libraries to accom- 
pany its study courses, and these, along with any 
other books the committee may desire, are fur- 
nished by our Publication Society, Philadelphia. 
The pastor can very wisely recommend titles. Thus 
you will have not only a reference library for 
teachers of classes and leaders of meetings, but 
a constant fount of information and inspiration for 
all the members. Other literature may be dis- 
tributed copiously. All of our denominational so- 
cieties will be glad to send leaflets on application, 
and some small pamphlets for a low price. The 
Forward Movement for Missionary Education will 
send such literature also. There is a Cycle of 
Prayer issued semi-annually, which suggests weekly 
topics for missionary intercession in the Quiet Hour. 
The committee could not do better than enroll as 
many members as possible in following out this 
beautiful course of prayer. The committee will 
also seek to make the young people readers of the 
bright monthly Baptist missionary magazine " Mis- 
sions," Dr. Howard B. Grose, editor, Ford Build- 
ing, Boston. 

The Missionary Giving 

Money for missions is the Missionary Committee's 
earnest concern. Money can best be raised by vol- 
untary weekly or monthly subscriptions. Ordinarily 
the offerings should be sent through the church 



Missionary Methods 97 

treasurer, and applied to the various objects for 
which the church is apportioned on the budget, thus 
providing a representation of the society in the 
funds of the denominational enterprises — foreign 
missions, home missions, State missions, Publication 
Society work, city missions, and so on. Sometimes 
this can be done while the society designates its of- 
ferings at the same time to one particular mission 
station, hospital, school, or pupil. In such a case the 
letters from the field to the society will be a valuable 
return for the lively interest taken. Sometimes it is 
possible for the young people as church-members to 
give to the budget, and as members of the young 
people's society to give an additional offering to a 
special object. Giving should be systematic. There 
should be at least once a year a good presentation of 
the principles of Christian stewardship. 

The Mission-study Class 

Last in this chapter, but " last's the best of 
all the game." There is no other plan of mis- 
sionary education that can rival the study class. 
Do not say it is impossible for you to have a 
class. Make it possible. Every Missionary Com- 
mittee should plan some way to have a definite 
study course at least once in the year. Often it 
goes better if only the interested few are enrolled ; 
this much can be said for our encouragement. An 
attempt should be made, however, to enroll as large 
a number as possible, and a larger number each 

G 



98 Baptist Young People at Work 

year. Sometimes it is even advisable to take the 
regular weekly meeting of the society for a period 
of two or three months, and conduct some sort of 
regular study at that time. There are advantages, 
however, in a real class. By " a real class " we 
mean: (1) A teacher who conducts each lesson 
until the course is finished. (2) An enrolment of 
those who promise to read the text-book, and as 
far as possible have individual text-books of their 
own. (3) A lesson assigned for each time, a quiz 
and recitation also being generally used. (4) Meet- 
ings not more than two weeks apart, preferably 
every week. The course should be closed by a re- 
view or (easy) examination, and followed by a 
public program on the subject, the members of the 
class participating. 

Books on Mission Study 

The following series of mission-study books has 
been published by the Missionary Education Move- 
ment. These are all sold by our Publication Society, 
Philadelphia, at fifty cents in cloth and thirty-five in 
paper: 

"The Price of Africa." (Taylor.) 

"Into All the World." (Wells.) 

" Princely Men in the Heavenly Kingdom." (Beach.) 

"Sunrise in the Sunrise Kingdom." (De Forest.) 

"Heroes of the Cross in America." (Shelton.) 

" Daybreak in the Dark Continent." (Naylor.) Enlarged. 

" The Christian Conquest of India." (Thoburn.) 



Missionary Methods 99 

"Aliens or Americans?" (Grose.) 

" The Uplift of China." (Smith.) Revised. 

"The Challenge of the City." (Strong.) 

" The Why and How of Foreign Missions." (Brown.) 

" The Moslem World." (Zwemer.) 

"The Frontier." (Piatt.) 

" South America." (Neely.) 

" The Upward Path." (Helm.) 

" Korea in Transition." (Gale.) 

" Advance in the Antilles." (Grose.) 

"The Decisive Hour of Christian Missions." (Mott.) 

" India Awakening." (Eddy.) 

"The Church of the Open Country." (Wilson.) 

The following books for younger persons will be 
interesting also to the older ones : 

"Uganda's White Man of Work." (Fahs.) 
" Servants of the King." (Speer.) 
"Under Marching Orders." (Hubbard.) 
"Winning the Oregon Country." (Faris.) 

Teachers of classes should get the " Mission Study 
Class Manual," five cents. 



Testimonies to the Value of Mission Study 

Quoting from the tract " White Harvest Fields " : 

" I want to say that the prayer life never meant so much 
to me as when I went to the mission-study class." 

" One of the sweetest things that has come to me has been 
the gathering of six young people who want to be mis- 
sionaries, and these have come out of the mission-study 
class." 



loo Baptist Young People at Work 

" Five Sunday-school teachers were secured as the re- 
sult of one mission-study class." 

" I have a hundred testimonies from members of mis- 
sion-study classes saying that the vision of life has been 
entirely changed after this study of missions, and many 
recruits have been the result." 



CHAPTER X 

PRACTICAL SERVICE 

In the St. Louis World's Fair a locomotive of the 
latest type stood mounted upon a high platform in 
such a way that the engineer could set it going and, 
while the wheels revolved and the whole monster 
throbbed with power, it never moved forward an 
inch. It was a thrilling spectacle. No one could 
quarrel with the engineer for not traveling over 
distance and pulling cars. The thing was meant to 
go through the motions and be looked at. 

But what would you say of an organization of 
Christians that was satisfied to make a noise and 
have the wheels go round ? What would you say to 
this piece of spiritual machinery — say, for instance, 
a young people's society — when it counts up the 
number of meetings and members and is proud 
to be " in a flourishing condition," or " holding its 
own " ? Must you not remind it that God meant it 
to ride on the real earth, couple up to real human 
needs, and " get somewhere"? When outsiders 
criticize the young people's society, they point to its 
tendency to be satisfied with talk meetings, study 
meetings, or even prayer meetings ; in other words, 
using their own eloquent vulgarity, to evaporate into 

IOI 



102 Baptist Young People at Work 

" hot air." Let us not be misled into believing that 
the case is at all so desperate. The outsider is not 
a competent judge of the unseen forces that build up 
the spiritual life in a company of young people who 
attempt, even feebly, to carry out the activities de- 
scribed, for example, in the preceding chapters. Still 
we must set clearly before us the necessity of doing 
some good for others that they themselves recog- 
nize as worth while. This is what we mean by 
" practical service " ; in other words, " the work of 
the Lord," who " went about doing good." 

Who shall be responsible for finding practical 
service for the society? First of all, the pastor; 
secondly, the president ; thirdly, the Executive Com- 
mittee. These will plan, over and above the regular 
running of the organization, for definite tasks in 
which the society may engage for the benefit of 
those outside of its own circle. We now mean to 
suggest a few such tasks. Most of these have been 
already attempted, and successfully too. None of 
them is to be copied by the reader and transferred 
bodily to his own society. He should study his 
own situation long enough to see how to modify and 
adapt every suggestion until his society finds itself 
doing some new thing for the Lord that has been 
given it by himself and not by man. 

Work for the Local Church 

i. Boosting church attendance. One strongly 
evangelistic church had a group of young men who 



Practical Service 103 



met together early Sunday evening, and after 
prayer went out upon the streets with cards adver- 
tising the evening preaching service. Dwight Moody 
filled five pews in the church he attended just by 
going after young men and getting them. Where 
you cannot get one person by a perfunctory invita- 
tion you can get a dozen by going to their homes 
and taking them along and sitting with them. Every 
young church-member should see to it that the 
people on his block know about his church. Let 
there be rivalry between the young men and young 
women to see which side can get out the larger at- 
tendance at one of two meetings. One society 
divided into red and blue sides for working up at- 
tendance on a certain evening, and distributed en- 
trance tickets of the two colors to those invited. 
Get a list of those whom the pastor is trying to get 
to the church, and divide the list up among the mem- 
bers so that each one writes to a few addresses 
a special note. One society provided an invalid 
chair, in which it' brought shut-ins to the church. 
Another takes charge of the babies, who would 
otherwise keep their mothers at home. Two or 
three young people can keep a large number of 
babies quiet when brought to the church nursery. 

2. Helping in the Sunday evening service. The 
most successful service, in some respects, held by 
the writer was one of which the young people had 
full charge. They printed programs, had two or 
three of their number take part, allowed the pastor 



104 Baptist Young People at Work 

a brief address, worked up the attendance, and had 
a big meeting. Another pastor often invites some 
of his picked young people to assist in the service 
by reading Scripture or giving personal testimonies. 
A tiny Baptist young people's union in a rural 
community, where preaching is a treat seldom en- 
joyed, keeps the light burning in the church both 
literally and figuratively every Sunday evening. Let 
the pastor try turning his evening service into a 
question-box, in which problems suggested by his 
young people are discussed. Some churches should 
have young people's night once a month. " The 
Front-seat Brigade " has been described above. The 
young people could also form a " welcome commit- 
tee " to welcome all strangers or occasional comers. 
3. Visiting, calling, and canvassing. Visits may 
be paid to the sick and shut-ins. The Flower Com- 
mittee will cooperate here. One society sent Perry 
pictures neatly mounted on cards to all these shut- 
ins on Christmas. Calls are to be made upon 
strangers. Our young people to-day do not have a 
great deal of time to do calling, and they should go 
first to other young people, as suggested to the 
Membership and Social committees. One pastor 
had his young people take upon them by blocks and 
sections the work of carrying a printed pastoral 
message into every home in his field. Canvassing 
is going from house to house. One group of young 
people inquired for persons who did not attend Sun- 
day-school, and found about a hundred and fiftv 



Practical Service 105 



new names in this way. Young people under a com- 
petent leader can do the canvassing necessary for a 
" religious census/' or a " community survey." (See 
Warren H. Wilson's book, " Community Study.") 
4. Miscellaneous church work. Some societies 
have printed a weekly bulletin or monthly church 
paper. A Junior Epworth League had charge of 
beautifying the church lawn. If your church has no 
lawn, get hold of a vacant lot somewhere and plant 
flowers. A society took upon itself the job of 
redecorating the dingy prayer-meeting room. The 
young people did part of the work themselves, 
gave an attractive room to the other organizations 
who met in the same place, and brightened the whole 
society in the process. Another union helped on the 
building fund of its church, the members volunteer- 
ing to deliver buttermilk to homes. The buttermilk 
was a physical blessing to those who bought, and the 
legitimate profit made was a real help to the church 
finances. 

Work for the Community 

1. The word community is pathetically new to 
some church-members, but it is time we were learn- 
ing it. Some churches are totally uninterested in 
the real life of the population about them. In con- 
sequence, they barely live there, as a cut flower 
languishes in its vase. Other churches are like a 
growing plant, firmly rooted in their real environ- 
ment and interested in the people that form the 



io6 Baptist Young People at Work 

immediate field. Christian young people owe a duty 
to their own church and also to their own com- 
munity. The community needs the impact of young 
life sanctified by high ideals and swept with Chris- 
tian enthusiasm. To help the community efficiently 
we should first study it. " Know your city " should 
be taken in a spiritual sense as a challenge to the 
young Christian. 

2. There is a long list of reforms. Some we 
cannot succeed in immediately, but every bit of 
agitation added in the fight helps to rock the boat 
for the powers that be, and sometimes tips them 
overboard. Recent advances in American political 
life are making it possible for citizens to exercise 
vastly more power in their own government than 
ever before. What does this mean to the Christian 
citizen but a marvelously increased responsibility f 
Now, the older folks are too old to learn the new 
ways. Young people are educable and enthusiastic. 
Let it be known that your young people belong to 
the town too, and mean to be heard. If the sky-line 
is full of beer-signs, let them raise a gospel text, 
electric lighted, in a dominating location. If bill- 
board nuisances exist, let them agitate against them. 
Let them protest against Sunday theaters and base- 
ball, demand a censorship for moving pictures, and 
request investigations of dance-halls. They must 
move with some caution and, above all, with knowl- 
edge ; as said above, community knowledge must 
precede community improvement. 



Practical Service 107 



3. Let us make some constructive suggestions to 
our community. We can advertise a health meeting 
or a clean-up day. In any moral issue before the 
public we should at least pass resolutions on the 
right side and have them printed in the papers. 
Country churches should try to have a little piece 
of land on which a class should work out a demon- 
stration of scientific farming. They could also foster 
good reading clubs and circulating libraries. City 
young people have sometimes provided tennis courts 
for themselves and others near the church. One 
society maintained open house on the evenings in 
the week when stores were open down-town, offer- 
ing thus some attractive place for young people 
apart from cheap shows or saloons. A city union 
supported a visitor who made friends with tenement- 
dwellers and called on the young people to go visit- 
ing with her at times. A benevolence social was 
occasionally held, to which no one was allowed to 
come without bringing some article useful in a 
poor home. A live Baptist society took Christmas 
trees to homes where they would be appreciated. 
Others may announce Thanksgiving and Christmas 
collections Of provisions and clothing and visit the 
poor personally with baskets. It is also a real 
" social service " for the Social Committee to ar- 
range wholesome evening recreations, to which 
outsiders will be glad to come and in which they 
may freely take part. In the flood which visited 
Dayton in 191 3 at least one pastor had his eyes 



io8 Baptist Young People at Work 



opened to the undreamed-of possibilities of youth- 
ful life when given the opportunity and the vision 
of helping others in ways that they can understand. 
Everybody helped everybody else to the extent of 
real heroism, and the young people were foremost. 
O stupid churches, give youth a chance to serve 
and suffer for the world ! 

Work for Unconverted Souls 

i. We must have more meetings aside from the 
regular ruts if we ever win souls to Christ. Espe- 
cially preceding or following evangelistic seasons 
we should improve the opportunity for " cottage 
meetings." A few friends singing the gospel and 
testifying of it in another's home have often been 
a great instrument of grace. All hospitals except 
those under Catholic control are glad to have groups 
of young people come in to sing on Sunday after- 
noon, and many an aching head and weary heart 
has been rested and blessed in that way. There 
should be very little " preaching " at these times. 
The singing is best. The older young people should 
be the leaders in visiting the jail, if there are 
prisoners in it; although if successful work is done, 
as recommended in the preceding section, there will 
be no prisoners there. At the jail have some preach- 
ing, plain testifying, and a human treatment of 
human beings. Bear in mind the youth fulness of 
the ordinary prisoner. Twenty-three is the average 
age of the active criminal. If there is a rescue mis- 



Practical Service 109 

sion in your town, visit it in a body at least once a 
month. If there is a schoolhouse a few miles away 
with no Sunday-school, go out on Sunday after- 
noons and organize one. All this work is intensely 
enjoyable. The most vigorous society in the writer's 
own city owes its strength largely to its aggressive 
gospel work. It conducts open-air meetings on the 
street. Try it ; oh, how you will love it ! Stand on 
the curb for Christ, and stand straight and proud. 
A city union can sometimes have large open-air 
s.ervices in the most public square or park. In 
one city a series of evangelistic tent meetings was 
very successful. 

2. With meetings must go personal work. A 
pastor once took up ten minutes of the regular hour 
used by the young people to teach personal work. 
This was Moody's great forte, and he made it a 
great message to his generation. His own Sunday- 
school teacher had hesitated to go out into the shoe- 
store and talk to Dwight about his soul, but grow- 
ing desperate at last plunged in, and the young man 
yielded at once. In the Moody Institute in Chicago 
a great deal has been made of the Monday morning 
report meeting, and truly no more pentecostal serv- 
ice has been witnessed than when the young stu- 
dents simply relate the accounts of those personally 
won to Christ the previous day and week. If any 
young person who reads these lines knows now of 
some person to whom he should long ago have 
spoken about the Saviour, let him close up the book 



no Baptist Young People at Work 

and get in touch with that person right now. . . Per- 
sonal work may be studied in class, as suggested in 
a previous chapter. All study, however, must be 
immediately linked with action under the pastor's 
guidance. If an evangelist with skill in organizing 
personal workers comes along, so much the better. 
It was not Billy Sunday, but Billy Sunday's per- 
sonal workers that visited a little Pennsylvania vil- 
lage and obtained a confession of Christ from every 
inhabitant but one. The Baptist young people of 
the Pittsburgh Association did no grander thing 
than when they offered themselves to their pastors 
to be used in personal work at the conclusion of the 
preaching service Sunday night as the pastor would 
suggest. Of course we must remember that there 
is no patent method that of itself will win souls to 
the salvation and lordship of Jesus. With method 
or without method, there must be a life constantly 
under the sweet sway of the Master of love and 
of men. For life alone will attract life, and only 
by giving life can life be won. 

Take my life and let it be 
Consecrated, Lord, to thee. 



CHAPTER XI 

THE JUNIORS 1 

Who the Juniors Are 

Bible school workers use the term juniors in a 
different sense from that intended by the young 
people's organization. The junior department in 
a Bible school enrolls children from nine years to 
twelve. In the scheme of the young people's so- 
ciety the juniors are between eleven and sixteen. 
They are the ones for whom, until lately, the least 
spiritual work has been done. Some junior workers 
admit the younger children. But the original inten- 
tion was to care for boys and girls in early adoles- 
cence or just prior to the age of admission to the 
senior society. To admit children under ten is 
often to lose the older ones at the very age in 
which they most need us, for the older ones will not 
come if the younger children are too much in evi- 
dence. Accordingly in preparing study material 
both the Baptist Young People's Union of America 
and the United Society of Christian Endeavor have 
sought to provide for the needs of these older boys 
and girls. 

1 Material for the greater part of this chapter was very kindly contributed 
by Mrs. W. E. Chalmers, Mrs. M. R. Sheldon, and Miss Maude J. Slaght. 

Ill 



H2 Baptist Young People at Work 

At the same time it is true that many a leader 
finds the younger children the more eager to attend. 
They should in some way be recognized if it is 
possible to do so. Why not call them junior re- 
cruits, and separate them from the regular juniors 
during lesson and drill? Another solution of the 
age problem is found by dividing the society into 
sections or classes, only providing that all are to- 
gether for some part of the exercises. 

Importance and Aim of Junior Work 

John G. Paton tells of the quiet Sabbath after- 
noon in his boyhood home, where the discussion of 
the morning sermon or a contest in Bible knowledge 
was the children's delight, and not one of them 
ever thought of those afternoons as other than 
supremely enjoyable. A minister in this country, 
long before the junior union was heard of, formed 
his family of growing boys into a " Chapter So- 
ciety." Each member reported on Sunday after- 
noon his measure of faithfulness in reading his daily 
chapter and competed for the prize of a bit of 
candy in Bible drills and games, at the same time 
making faltering beginnings in audible prayer. No 
one can deny that there are very few homes to-day 
in which anything like this is being attempted, and 
all the while materialistic environment of a gilded 
age presses in upon our younger young people 
with increasing weight. All efforts to get into closer 
spiritual touch with boys and girls than is possible 



The Juniors 113 



in the large promiscuous meeting or even in the 
Bible school are evidences of the general demand 
for what we here call junior work. It is true that 
a junior society means much to the future senior so- 
ciety, and to have efficient young church-members 
we must begin farther back than the age of eighteen 
or twenty. But the best reason for the organiza- 
tion is the spiritual demand of boys and girls in 
the most impressionable period in life. 

Junior work then must aim : ( 1 ) To lead boys and 
girls to an acceptance of Jesus as Saviour; (2) to 
help them in simple, sincere expression of their 
Christian aspirations; (3) to engage them in suit- 
able Christian activity ; and to train them for future 
service. Emphasize the words expression and ac- 
tivity. It is because these are largely lacking in 
the Bible school that we must provide suitable "op- 
portunity for the spontaneous, active side of Chris- 
tian growth. 

Who is Responsible for this Work? 

Of course the pastor first of all. Naturally too, the 
younger young people will come to feel the respon- 
sibility of keeping up their society. But in a special 
sense it belongs to the senior society to father the 
junior. It should elect the junior leader or super- 
intendent, the pastor having first discovered this 
leader and suggested his or her name. The senior 
society will get an annual report from the leader 
and stand back of him in every possible way. The 

H 



ii4 Baptist Young People at Work 

largest junior union known to the writer was led 
by a young man. Often a woman is in charge. In 
any case, there should at least be a man among the 
assistants, if not in full charge, and that for the 
sake of the boys. How one should covet the large 
possibilities of this splendid task ! Do not say : " Oh, 
we gave up our junior union for want of a leader." 
Has consecration given out? Can we not engage in 
special prayer that God will raise up a leader ? And 
why should I sing: 

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, 
Over mountain or plain or sea, 

if I am not touched by the vision of this great field 
so near at hand and white already to harvest ? 

The leader is to be an earnest Christian with 
executive capacity and a real love for the juniors. 
Some study of psychology would be a great help. 
He must do more than learn his part by rote and 
teach the children after the same fashion. There 
is large room for his own ingenuity. A leader who 
considers the work a task and not a privilege, 
anxious only to fill up the hour and always ready 
with excuses for slipshod work, would be worse 
than no leader at all. But then he must not be 
left to shift alone. Even in a small society an as- 
sistant is necessary, with additional helpers accord- 
ing to membership. The younger seniors make good 
helpers, especially as section leaders, to mark records 
and drill their sections. One may be given charge 



The Juniors n 



of the memory drill, another of the music, another 
of the missionary work, and so on. 

Helpful Literature 

Both juniors and leader should subscribe for 
" Our Juniors," an indispensable guide to success, 
containing the entire course of study and work with 
suggestions. " Service " also gives aid. The Publi- 
cation Society will send for ten cents a " Junior 
Package," containing full instructions on organizing 
and conducting the society. There is a book by 
A. R. Wells, " The Junior Manual," which abounds 
in suggestions. The following books are worth 
study : 

" Happy Hours for the Boys and Girls." D. E. 
Lewis. 

" Making Men and Women." Emma A. Robin- 
son. 

" Beckonings from Little Hands." Patterson 
DuBois. 

" Good Times with the Juniors." Lillian M. 
Heath. 

" Education in Religion and Morals." George 
A. Coe. 

" The Unfolding Life." Mrs. A. A. Lamoreaux. 

The Organization 

Invite the boys and girls of certain Bible school 
classes to a gathering they will enjoy in the most 
pleasant room in the church on Sunday afternoon. 



n6 Baptist Voting People at Work 



After a good time of singing followed by a prayer, 
let the pastor or some other capable person explain 
briefly what the gathering is for — to form an or- 
ganization that can meet every week in order to 
find out some new and interesting things in the 
Bible and to practise together, in a new and interest- 
ing way, certain things that they will all be desirous 
to do as the coming men and women of the church. 
It is well to have your leader's name selected and 
ready to propose to the boys and girls for their 
approval. There will be no objection to the name 
proposed, especially if the prospective leader be 
already " popular " with his prospective juniors. 
To be popular, in a good sense, with boys and girls 
is an endowment devoutly to be wished. When the 
meeting has voted to organize, it should then pro- 
ceed to elect a president, vice-president, secretary, 
and treasurer, for the duties usually assigned to 
these offices. Use your judgment as to electing an 
organist. The officers, with the leader, may select 
chairmen of committees to make up, with themselves, 
the Executive Committee. The committees may be 
these : Devotional, Membership, Social, and Mission- 
ary. The president may sit before the meeting each 
Sunday or come to the front only occasionally to 
make announcements or transact matters of busi- 
ness. He should be a church-member. The secre- 
tary and the treasurer should be instructed in Chris- 
tian accuracy. All of the officers should be given as 
much liberty in managing their own society as the 



The Juniors 117 



leader is able to afford without himself losing the 
actual control in all essential affairs. 

The Christian Culture Courses 

To meet the need of a systematic plan for the 
year's work, as well as to relate each year's work 
to what precedes and follows, the Junior Christian 
Culture Courses have been designed. The Bible 
Readers' Course assigns a short daily reading for 
private devotions. The Sacred Literature Course 
adds to this a lesson on the reading of each week. 
The Conquest Missionary Course is a connected 
series of interesting phases of missionary work, 
generally used as the basis for a meeting on the last 
Sunday of the month. As many juniors as possible 
should take active part in this meeting. Each year, 
in April, examination questions are given out from 
the Young People's Department of the Publication 
Society, besides being printed in " Our Juniors," 
and the State or province that sends in the most and 
best examination papers in any one of the three 
courses receives a banner. A banner is also awarded 
to the State or province doing the best work in all 
three courses together. These four banners are 
each in turn awarded by the winning bodies to the 
particular junior unions within their borders that 
have done most to make the victory possible. 

It will be seen at once that juniors must prepare 
the larger part of this work in their homes and 
report upon it in the meeting. With regard to this 



n8 Baptist Young People at Work 

home-work three problems arise: (i) How to get it 
done? Have a copy of "Our Juniors" in every 
home, or at least monthly slips with the lessons 
noted on them. Thus the studying will be done if 
you make it possible; expect it, credit it. (2) How 
credit it? Make record on special report cards, 
either monthly or weekly. (3) How retain it? By 
constant drill and frequent asking for memory 
verses. 

The Meeting Program 

It should not be alike in every junior union, and 
should not in any one union be the same for 
every meeting. Variety should be maintained and 
curiosity-stimulating surprises should occasionally 
be introduced. The meeting should be practical, 
full of action, reverent, and thoroughly enjoyable. 
The following is a specimen program: 

1. Leader calls for opening prayer (from older junior) 
of thanks for sunshine, health, or some special providence 
of the week. 

2. Bible reading by five juniors on the marriage of 
Isaac, representing Abraham, the servant, Rebekah, Laban, 
and Isaac. 

3. Talk by junior leader. Central Thought — God's guid- 
ance in all our affairs means a happy outcome of all our 
plans. Questions for boys and girls to answer: What 
made Rebekah attractive — beauty, God's gift, helpfulness, 
hospitality, bravery? Application. 

4. Prayer for God's help in our life-plans. 

5. Division into classes for Bible drill, Christian Culture 
Course questions, etc. 



The Juniors 119 



6. Reassembling for announcements and repetition of 
memory verses. 

7. Hymn and Mizpah. 

Another suggested program is thus outlined : 

1. Praise service, Five minutes. 

2. Memory drill, Ten minutes. 

3. Business, Five minutes. 

4. Section or class work, Fifteen minutes. 

5. Lesson period, Fifteen minutes. 

6. Devotional, Ten minutes. 

7. Closing, Five minutes. 

In general, every meeting with the juniors should 
be: 

Joyful 
Useful 
Normal 
Informing 
Orderly 
Racy- 
Spiritual 

About Drills 

In " Happy Hours for the Boys and Girls," Rev. 
D. E. Lewis describes a Bible baseball game. Other 
drills may be worked out by the leader. Use mate- 
rial supplementary to Bible school work. Make the 
drills as far as possible contests, putting the boys 
against the girls, or one side of the room against 
the other, and so on. The simple plan of giving out 
references in the Bible and rewarding with some 
slight honor the one who finds the most references 



120 Baptist Young People at Work 

first is often successful. Use concert exercises. 
Learn blackboard magic. For getting the names of 
the books of the Bible and their order nothing is 
finer than the exercise of arranging the books upon 
a shelf. 

Devotional Exercises 

There is no doubt that the children, even many of 
them who come from Christian homes, need to be 
taught to pray. They should never be forced to 
pray, but rather led to do so. The prayers should 
often be directed and suggested, not worded. For 
example, in a lesson on obedience the leader may 
say : " Now let us all bow our heads and ask Jesus 
to help us to be obedient." Possibly he may sug- 
gest that one whom he knows to be ready and will- 
ing lead the prayer. Likewise the leader may sug- 
gest testimony by emphasizing a certain thought in 
the lesson, but should not frame the testimony or 
over-urge the children to take part. The first 
requisite in the devotional part of the meeting is 
reverence. The second is absolute sincerity in 
religious expression. Prayer must touch the real 
life of real boys and girls, and should be reenforced 
by a cultivation of the personal prayer life, and Bible 
reading. 

Finances 

Right principles of giving cannot be too early in- 
stilled. The juniors ought therefore to do their 



The Juniors 121 



part in supporting their own work and in con- 
tributing to missions. They should learn right 
means of raising money for church work. They 
may be encouraged to earn money individually by 
their own efforts or occasionally give a simple enter- 
tainment together. But anything like prize money, 
chances, lottery methods, unfair charges in the name 
of " the cause," or undue pressure on outsiders to 
buy undesired tickets should be discouraged. The 
best way for juniors, as for everybody else, is to 
give money that is their own and give it personally. 
In making a plea for offerings to any of the great 
enterprises supported by the church, the leader 
should not be content merely to indicate an offering 
for missions. He must tell very distinctly about 
some one thing or person that the proposed offering 
is to help. The leader may then add the name of 
the organization that takes charge of this particular 
work; and thus eventually, some time during the 
year, may suggest that a vote be taken to have the 
treasurer pay through the church treasurer some 
amount for each one of the denominational mis- 
sionary organizations. 

In Talking to Juniors 

Attract the eye with chalk or object. 
Be brief. 

Center talk or story about one main thought. 
Do not talk down to th^m. Put yourself in their 
place. 



122 Baptist Young People at Work 

Effect connections with their own daily life. 

State what is fiction and what is fact and keep the 
two distinct. Embellish fact, but do not alter it. 
Tell the truth. 

Give them something to do at once to exemplify 
your talk. 

Help them to answer your questions. 

Use illustrations, invite interest. 

Study Jesus' parables as your model. 

Kindle your inventive ability by consulting the 
books already recommended and also the following : 
"Stories and Story Telling" (St. John); " Tell 
Me a True Story " (Stewart) ; " Object Lessons for 
Junior Work " (Wood) ; " Chalk, What We Can Do 
with It " (Wood) ; " Experimental Object Lessons " 
(Gray); "Five-minute Object Sermons to Chil- 
dren" (Stall); "The Boy's Life of Christ" (For- 
bush). All these books may be had from the Amer- 
ican Baptist Publication Society or any of its stores. 

Graduation 

It may be made desirable and dignified by attach- 
ing to it as much ceremony as possible and giving it 
the time of a regular church service. Let there be 
a special sermon by the pastor or an address by 
some visiting worker. In a recent graduation cere- 
mony there were interesting and valuable contribu- 
tions by the juniors themselves. One of the younger 
boys gave the books of the Bible in their order, 
placing them upon the shelf as he did so. Another 



The Juniors 123 



boy pointed out on the map the journeys of the 
apostle Paul. Another junior reviewed very ac- 
curately the salient epochs in the life of Jesus. One 
of the older girls read a paper on the lives of the 
patriarchs. Still another junior gave a resume of 
a year's missionary study. The juniors sat in a body 
on the platform. Juniors took the collection, and 
apparently managed the whole affair. The leader 
distributed Christian Culture certificates to those 
who had completed the courses for the first, second, 
third, and fourth years of study. The graduates 
were welcomed into the senior Baptist Young Peo- 
ple's Union with brief and appropriate remarks by 
its president. 



CHAPTER XII 

TRAINING FOR FUTURE LEADERSHIP 

Commencement Day! What a flutter of ribbons, 
pennants, and white dresses! The campus is alive 
with visitors, alumni, trustees, and fathers and 
mothers from home. I find my own sense of im- 
portance strangely reen forced by the admiring 
crowd, and grow suddenly so tall that the very 
trees and buildings look smaller. Commencement 
Day at last, but I scarcely hear what the orator is 
saying, my soul is so full of the pain of parting 
from the dear old college. How will they get 
along without me ? 

The truth is that to the under-classmen this is 
the day on which I become a back number and 
they advance farther toward the limelight. To-day 
juniors become seniors. Have I stopped to give 
them a thought? In the college the succession of 
classes comes automatically. How is it in the young 
people's society, of which these things are an alle- 
gory? When you catch sight of yourself nearing 
graduation into the ranks of honorary membership 
— as you can if you will only stand aside " and 
watch yourself go by " — will there be some younger 
young people ready to step up and take your place 
124 



Training for Future LeadersJtip 125 

among the active workers? Keep the society young, 
not by driving out the older ones, but by drawing in 
the younger and giving them places that shall fur- 
nish real training in Christian work. The whole 
membership must keep moving up and moving on. 

Commencement Day to the young people's worker 
thus becomes the time in which he steps up higher 
to gain wider horizons and accept larger tasks. It 
is important that the gaps in the ranks behind us 
be constantly filled with other workers. It is 
equally important that we ourselves find a place in 
the ranks ahead. To supply efficient church-helpers 
— this is our objective as a society. What an in- 
spiration would come to many of us as we tread the 
weekly and yearly routine, if this objective were 
kept always squarely in front, bringing its vision 
of the future leadership for which we are being 
fitted. Every society is called on to justify its exist- 
ence by its product. Its output of trained workers 
who shall become leaders in church life is the 
criterion by which the church will judge its success. 

We come then to inquire what spheres of Chris- 
tian leadership there are which we should be ex- 
pecting to occupy. In what direction shall our 
present efforts tend? What is the vision of that 
promised land which the ranks of Israel are so 
eagerly pressing forward to gain as they near their 
Jordan? We enumerate the six following classes 
of Christian workers which the church greatly needs 
to-day : 



126 Baptist Young People at Work 

I. Church Officers 

It surely is unnecessary, almost unkind, to com- 
ment on the dearth of really capable and active peo- 
ple in the church offices. How much more smoothly 
and rapidly the whole organization could move 
forward with efficient deacons, clerks, trustees, 
committee chairmen, and presidents? They should 
stand like the corporals, sergeants, and lieutenants 
in a company, always the first to respond to the 
captain's voice and start forward when commands 
are given. Church officers should have: (i) De- 
pendableness, so that when a particular piece of 
work is entrusted to any committee the pastor may 
roll over and go to sleep so far as that work is con- 
cerned, knowing that he will not have to waste 
precious time in getting the committee into action. 
(2) Initiative, the quality that is like a self-starter 
in an automobile, suggesting to its possessor things 
that he may do "without being told." (3) Some 
ability in getting others to work, and willingness to 
work with them. " One shall chase a thousand," 
that is the victory of individual consecration. " Two 
shall put ten thousand to flight," that is the triumph 
of organized consecration. (4) Most of all, a 
genuine spiritual life, which, besides instilling joy 
and energy into the heart of the worker, inspires 
others with confidence in him, so that " if there 
come in one unbelieving or unlearned he will de- 
clare that God is among you of a truth." Surely a 
well-conducted young people's society will train its 



Training for Future Leadership 127 

members in just these four qualities, teaching them, 
while working with each other, the secrets of re- 
sourcefulness and cooperation, and encouraging the 
habit of daily Bible reading and the Quiet Hour. 

II. Bible school Leaders 

There is no department of the church's effort to- 
day that can compare in promise with its wide edu- 
cational opportunity. The Baptist Young People's 
Union or the Christian Endeavor Society should 
lead a goodly number of its members up the slopes 
of Pisgah to catch the vision of this great work. 
Why should not many of our young people under- 
take special preparation for religious education as 
a life-work? Others, not so fortunate in an 
economic sense, while engaging in some secular 
occupation to pay living expenses, may take this as 
their mission in life, an avocation ordered by God. 
There is no lack of suggestions from Bible school 
experts as to how a school should be run, but these 
magnificent suggestions will remain abortive with- 
out a large increase in the number of individual 
lives offered for service in the actual work. One 
must not forget that the modern, systematized Bible 
school is as much of an improvement over the old, 
haphazard sort as an up-to-date telephone switch- 
board is over one that is antiquated. The operator 
at the new switchboard makes connections with a 
far greater number of human voices and does it 
more easily. How vast then is the opportunity 



128 Baptist Young People at Work 

before the teacher of to-day upon whom so many 
influences for good converge, and in whose hands 
are the lines of personal power extending to so 
many lives! 

III. Leaders in Evangelistic Zeal 

We all are familiar with the amount of time that 
an evangelist usually spends at the beginning of his 
campaign in " getting the church ready " or " rous- 
ing up the saints." He sometimes has to convert 
the church-members that " don't believe in this re- 
vival business," those who have palpitation of the 
heart or nervous prostration at the thought of 
" speaking in meeting," the deacon who has been a 
Christian for twenty years without ever having 
spoken to another man about the salvation of the 
soul, and all the others who last week were so 
busy with their " social duties " that they are " too 
tired " to come out to meeting in the evening. What 
is it that comforts the pastor's heart more than to 
be able to put his hand on some few solid Chris- 
tians who are always eager to do some sort of soul- 
saving work? Occasionally we find a layman with 
little ability as a speaker holding an audience of men 
in a shop meeting more effectively than many a 
minister. One of the most moving gospel preachers 
known to the writer is a business man in a Western 
city, who can hardly converse without quoting Scrip- 
ture, not for sanctimonious reasons, but because he 
loves it, and from whose conversation, as from his 



Training for Future Leadership 129 

plain talks in street meetings, one can no more turn 
away than he can from a cool drink of water when 
thirsty. Not that it is public speaking from us that 
the Lord mostly needs. Rather is it the frank, quiet 
word of a friend uttered in private. The church 
needs key-men and key-women, to use a phrase 
already trite, and the young people should be am- 
bitious to meet that need. The personal workers' 
class, the evangelistic appeal in devotional meeting, 
look forward to this. 

IV. Leaders in Missionary and Denominational Interest 

The reason one couples together the words mis- 
sionary and denominational is that the denomination 
has identified itself with its great missionary task 
and message more than with any other thing in the 
world. The church-member who has been trained 
in missionary intelligence is the live wire that keeps 
the congregation in touch with the world-field. We 
must get teachers of mission-study classes from 
some source, and likewise officers of missionary so- 
cieties and members of missionary committees. 
Who should supply these workers more than the 
young people's society? A church is far more suc- 
cessful in missionary effort when the laymen second 
the appeals of the pastor. But apart from the 
work done thus from the home base we should 
expect the young people to supply leaders for the 
firing-line abroad. Should not every society con- 
tinue instant in prayer that at least one of its 



130 Baptist Young People at Work 

number might respond to the call for volunteers? 
Your mission-study or missionary meeting may be 
the Open sesame through which a waiting Lord 
enters into the untouched hidden treasure of some 
life not until then yielded to him, but now offering 
its all for his needy work. It may be the moun- 
taintop from which some one may view stretching 
before him a life of undreamed-of service, as when 
Cortez first stared at the Pacific, " Silent upon a 
peak in Darien." 

V. Leaders in Christian Stewardship 

Young man, are you planning to go into business 
to make your mark in the world ? Make it a Chris- 
tian mark, the dollar-sign pierced by the cross. 
Christian stewardship is more than the plan of 
making up each year a list of the gifts one can 
afford out of one's surplus. It is accepting one's 
entire livelihood as a trusteeship and counting sacred 
the way the income is earned, the amount of profit 
accepted, and the objects to which it ought to be 
applied by a Christian. It is a fine ambition for 
any young Christian to " go into business for the 
kingdom." The need for education along the lines 
of stewardship is undoubtedly great, and it is an 
education that obviously must be carried on very 
largely not by the minister, who is generally sup- 
posed to be out of touch with money matters (as he 
generally is out of touch with money), but by the 
laymen. There is a great awakening coming over 



Training for Future Leadership 131 

the church, but as yet it is only beginning. So long 
as peanuts and soda-water occupy a larger place 
in the budget of the average church-member than 
all the causes of the kingdom, it is evident that 
some of us must learn what is meant by " leaving all 
to follow Him." Mere appealing and appealing is 
not going to solve the problem. What is needed is 
a general education in the Christian meaning of 
money, an education led and exemplified by " key- 
men " in the churches. The young people's society 
must handle its own finances in such a way as to 
train its members to take a significant part in this 
sort of leadership. 

VI. Leaders in Christianizing the Community 

The term " Christianize " is suggested by its use 
in the recent book by Professor Rauschenbusch, 
" Christianizing the Social Order." The word is a 
trifle vague, perhaps, but it suggests the carrying 
out, from the church-building into its neighborhood, 
of the ideals and forces that are supposed to operate 
only in the church. It is too common to lock up 
our religion in the building when we leave it on 
Sunday night, and never let it get out again all the 
week. People in the world sometimes think of the 
church in their midst as a beehive, full of activity, 
it is true, but activity that sucks all it can out of 
the vicinity, eager only to get members and money 
and store them up in its hive for itself. We must 
teach them to think of us as a dynamo generating 



132 Baptist Young People at Work 

power that shall be transmitted throughout the 
whole neighborhood by human contact with real 
life. 

The Northern Baptist Convention, in giving a 
place upon its standard of efficiency for a local 
church to the demand that it have a constructive 
program for the social uplift of its community, only 
voiced a feeling that has been gathering in these last 
years the irresistible force of a tidal wave. The 
life of the community — its stores and shops, its 
schools and theaters, its police and public utilities, 
its health and its vice, its respectability and its sin — 
this and nothing short of it is our field. A famous 
church in the East has in each section of its parish 
a member who acts as the church's sentinel there. 
He reports any case of need that the church should 
help or any phase of the public life it should in- 
fluence. This is only one method of the attempt 
to keep the finger of the Great Physician upon the 
pulse of his patient; for the church is his body and 
his patient is — not a few fortunate individuals saved 
out of the welter of mankind, but the whole world. 
A whole Christ for the whole community! This is 
why, as young people, we find so much social service 
suggested to us. This is why we are trying to help 
not only the society, but the neighborhood. And 
if, by the grace of God and the supply of the Spirit 
of Jesus Christ, our society reaches here and there a 
young life that, hearing the call and owning the 
claim of the kingdom, leads others with it into this 



Training for Future Leadership 133 

all-significant service, our young people's work has 
not been in vain. 

Christian leadership has its sacrifices and priva- 
tions. But its compensations are greater than these, 
not the least of which is to hear the church's own 
voice in grateful love: 

Ye fill up the gaps in our files, 
Strengthen the wavering line, 
Stablish, continue our march, 
On, to the bound of the waste, 
On, to the city of God. 



APPENDIX A 



Local Constitution 

Recommended by the Baptist Young People's Union 
of America 

ARTICLE I. NAME 

The name of this organization or department shall 
be The Baptist Young People's Union of the 
church. 

ARTICLE II. OBJECT 

The object of this Union shall be to secure the in- 
creased spirituality of our Baptist young people; 
their stimulation in Christian service; their edifi- 
cation in Scripture knowledge; their instruction in 
Baptist doctrine and history, and their enlistment in 
all missionary activity through existing denomina- 
tional organizations. 

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP 

Section i. The membership may consist of 
three classes : Active, Associate, and Honorary. 

Sec. 2. The Active membership shall consist of 
persons who are members of a Baptist church, 

*35 



136 'Appendix A 



elected upon the recommendation of the Executive 
Committee, and who have signed the constitution, 
assenting to the following pledge: Relying upon 
Divine help, I hereby promise to strive to be true to 
Christ in all things, and at all times; to seek the 
New Testament standard of Christian experience 
and life; to attend every meeting of the Union, un- 
less hindered by reasons approved by a good con- 
science, and to take some part in the services, aside 
from singing, if it is possible to do so zvith sincerity 
and truth. 1 

Sec. 3. The Associate membership shall consist 
of persons who, though not members of a Baptist 
church, are of good moral character; elected upon 
the recommendation of the Executive Committee. 
Such associate members shall be welcome to all 
the privileges of the society, except voting and 
holding office. 

Sec. 4. Honorary members may be elected at 
the pleasure of the society. 

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS 

The officers shall be a President, a Vice-president, 
a Secretary, a Corresponding Secretary, and a 
Treasurer, all of whom shall be chosen annually or 
semi-annually, and shall perform the duties usually 
appertaining to such offices. 

1 The pledge and also the associate membership are optional features with 
each local society. 



Appendix A 137 

ARTICLE V. COMMITTEES 

The Pastor and President are ex-officio members 
of all committees, and their approval should accom- 
pany the plans and recommendations made by the 
committees. The committees and their duties shall 
be as follows : 

Membership or Lookout. To have charge of the 
distribution of invitation cards; to bring in new 
members; to introduce them; to encourage attend- 
ance upon all meetings, and to interest all young 
people of the church and congregation in the work 
of the Union. 

Devotional. To arrange, in connection with the 
pastor and president, for all prayer meetings; pro- 
vide topics, singing-books, leaders, and accompanist ; 
and seek to promote the interest of the meetings. 

Instruction. To arrange for Bible study, lectures 
on religious topics, courses of general denomina- 
tional and missionary reading and instruction ; to de- 
velop and promote all that belongs to this feature 
of the work, and have charge of the library. 

Social. To call upon and welcome strangers; to 
provide for sociables ; to extend acquaintance among 
the members, and to increase the social interest of 
all meetings of the Union. 

Missions. To divide the territory of the church 
into districts ; secure visitors ; seek new scholars for 
the Sunday-school ; visit absent scholars ; assist the 
pastor in securing contributions for missions and 



138 Appendix A 



other objects; seek to inspire in all the young peo- 
ple a desire to cultivate the grace of giving and a 
worthy zeal in all church, local, State, home, and 
foreign mission work, and arrange for the regular 
monthly missionary meeting. 

Temperance. To distribute literature on the sub- 
ject, arrange for meetings in its interests, and do 
everything possible to promote temperance prin- 
ciples and sentiments in the members of the organ- 
ization and in the community. 

Executive. To consist of the pastor and officers, 
to meet' once a month, also at the call of the pastor 
or president; to consider all matters of business and 
make recommendations to the Union and to report 
to the church annually the progress of the work of 
the young people. The Executive Committee may 
make recommendations at any regular meeting, and 
all other committees shall report their work to the 
society at least quarterly, at a regular weekly meet- 
ing to be designated by the Executive Committee. 

ARTICLE VI. ELECTIONS 

The president shall be elected by the Union, sub- 
ject to the approval of the church. All other officers 
and committees shall be nominated by a committee 
of five, and be elected by the society. 

ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS 

Devotional meetings shall be held weekly. Meet- 
ings for Bible study shall be held at such times as 



Appendix A 139 



may be determined by the Union. The annual meet- 
ing shall occur at least one week before the annual 
meeting of the church. Business meetings shall be 
held at the call of the Executive Committee. 

ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS 

This constitution may be amended at any regular 
business meeting by a two-thirds/ vote, provided 
notice of the amendment shall have been given at a 
previous regular meeting. 



APPENDIX B 



A STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR A BAPTIST YOUNG 

people's SOCIETY TO BE REPORTED TO THE 

BROOKLYN CONVENTION, JULY IO-I3, I913 

i. Members. 

(1) Active members belonging to a Baptist 

church. 

(2) Associate members at least ten per cent of 

total. 

(3) Securing at least ten per cent' new members 

each year. 

2. Meetings. 

( 1 ) Weekly devotional meetings with general par- 

ticipation in prayer and testimony. 

(2) Average attendance sixty per cent of mem- 

bership. 

(3) Monthly Executive Committee meetings. 

(4) Quarterly business meetings with written 

committee reports. 

3. Church. 

( 1 ) Every member regularly attending some serv- 
ice of the local church. 
140 



Appendix B 141 



(2) Fifty per cent of active membership definitely 

engaged in local church work. 

(3) Every active member enrolled in some de- 

partment of local Sunday-school. 

4. Evangelism. 

(1) Making some systematic effort to win others 

to Christ and the church. 

(2) Regular presentation of the claims of per- 

sonal work. 

5. Missions. 

(1) One meeting monthly devoted to missionary 

instruction and inspiration. 

(2) Missionary or philanthropic work of some 

character outside the society. 

6. Social. 

(1) One general social occasion at least each 

quarter with twenty-five per cent of the at- 
tendance visitors. 

(2) Maintaining a welcoming and visitation 

work. 

7. Education. 

(1) Fifty per cent following some daily Bible 

reading plan. 

(2) Class in Sacred Literature or mission study 

or some special course. 

8. Juniors. 

Maintaining or actively cooperating in junior 
or intermediate work. 



142 Appendix B 



9. Giving. 

(1) Every active member regularly contributing 

to society, church, and missions. 

(2) Annual presentation of stewardship prin- 

ciples. 

10. Denomination. 

(1) Regular instruction in Baptist principles and 

history. 

(2) Representation in and annual reports to 

young people's district and general con- 
ventions. 

(3) Reports from general denominational con- 

ventions. 

(4) Ten per cent active membership subscribing 

to official young people's organ. 

Each of the twenty-five subpoints may be rated at 
four per cent. Societies attaining fifty per cent of 
the points will be known as Striving Societies ; those 
attaining seventy per cent will be known as Star 
Societies; and those attaining one hundred per cent 
will be honored as Standard Societies. All Baptist 
young people's societies will be invited to grade 
themselves and obtain official recognition from the 
general secretary annually. 



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